Summertime is a great time. The days are longer, we spend more time outside, the kids are out of school, & many of us take trips with family & friends. With all the changes in your routine during the summer, it might be easy to let dental care become less of a priority. Here are a few tips from your dental team to keep you smiling all summer long.

Don't Chew on Ice!

Tempting as it may be, as your dentist we must beg you not to chew on ice during the hot summer months! Just because your teeth are capable of chewing ice does not mean they should. Ice is hard enough to damage your tooth enamel, which is the hard outer layer of your teeth that protects the softer materials below. Place ice cubes in your drink to cool it instead.

Drink Water Instead of Juices & Soft Drinks

Ads for soft drinks love to tempt us during the summer with ads about how wonderfully refreshing their products are, but when it comes to hydration & cooling off, nothing beats good old-fashioned water. Plus, drinking water won't put you at risk for tooth decay like juices & soft drinks (including diet!). Plus, water can even help prevent tooth decay by washing away sugars & food particles that may be lingering in your mouth from your last meal or snack. So, please remember, soda pop & juices should be treats & you should drink water to stay cool & hydrated during the summer.

Forgot a Toothbrush While Traveling?

When you're excited for a vacation it's easy to overlook something when you're packing your bags. If that something happens to be a toothbrush or floss, you probably won't have to go very far for help. Though it isn't common knowledge, most hotel front desks or concierge services have extra dental care products like toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss available for guests for free. All you have to do is ask. This is especially helpful if your vacation spot is far from a convenience store or drug store. By they way, they also tend to have razors & hair combs if you forgot those, too!

Dental Checkups & Cleanings for Kids & Students

Even though most of us grown-ups are still just as busy during the summer, the children in our lives usually have a lot more time on their hands. We suggest you put some of this time to good use by scheduling your child's semi-annual teeth cleaning & checkup during their summer vacation. The benefit of summer appointments is that you won't have to pull your child out of class, they won't have to miss extracurricular activities & their appointment won't cut into homework time.

Summer is also a great time for college students to visit the dentist. Unless they're relying on an on-campus dental office, most college students should keep coming to their family dentist, even after they've moved away for school. Students who are back home visiting family should plan a trip to the dentist during their visit. Scheduling an appointment during the summer also means that their next 6-month appointment will fall during winter break, when they're likely to be visiting home again.

Regular appointments for children & students are very important, because they're particularly prone to picking up bad habits that could lead to tooth decay.

Schedule your appointment early! Great summer appointments always fill up.