Summer is about to burst on the scene. And with it, your "free time" will turn to "busy time" as you plan, plan, plan for your relaxing summer vacation. So while you're thinking about where you’ll go, where you'll eat, and what you'll see along the way, don't forget to schedule your children for a visit to the dentist as well - doing so, can save you from the misery of a dental emergency that will surely spoil even the best planned getaway.
The Best Plan of Action
Now, we're pretty sure you're thinking a visit to the dentist is the last thing you want to do before vacation. Yet we’re also fairly certain that discovering a painful cavity in your child's mouth mid-trip isn't on the agenda either – especially if you’re going overseas. Can you imagine having to look for emergency dental care in some remote part of the world? Ouch. But, a quick check-up can catch a future crisis before it ever materializes, and this is one of the beautiful things about dentistry. Imagine, for example, if you had a bone in your leg that was weak for one reason or another, and a strong impact upon that leg could cause it to break. Nine times out of ten, you would never even know you had this issue until your leg actually broke and you were laying in the emergency room. With dentistry, however, oral exams, x-rays and other tools allow your dentist to ferret out problems before they present themselves, and that's why visiting prior to vacation can help.
So, about a month prior to departure - or at least two weeks before you go - schedule a visit. Your dentist will explore your child's mouth for any abnormalities that could cause a problem, and identify any cavities that are close enough to the nerve to cause pain. If you're traveling by plane, air-pressure in the cabin can cause a recently drilled tooth to be overly sensitive, so you'll want to be certain to plan your visit at least a month ahead of time if you're flying. Of course, any surgery such as the removal of wisdom teeth, should be scheduled in significant advance, and if your child wear's braces, you'll want to visit your orthodontist as well.
Visiting your dentist prior to vacation, might actually be one of the easiest things to plan this summer. Your child will depart with a fresh clean mouth, and you'll leave with the confidence that a sneaking dental emergency won't be appearing in your vacation scrapbook this year.
