Travel for Food Hub The Food Blog for Travel Lovers
Last Updated on August 10, 2023
Traveling can open our eyes and expand our minds; but actually packing for these trips tends to be a much less enriching experience. Staring into your small suitcase may make you question all your previous purchases and long to replace them with small, easily packable and portable items. That’s where we come in. Here, we’ll share four dental kit items that will increase your portability and simplify travel.
Shrink Your Floss Footprint
When we picture floss, most of us imagine the classic white plastic container that’s ubiquitous in medicine cabinets. For many of us, purchasing this type of floss over and over again is so automatic we don’t even stop to consider other methods. But there are more ways than ever to remove plaque from between your teeth, and some options are better for travel than others.
Refillable glass floss containers typically come in a cylindrical shape and are much smaller than traditional floss options, so they’ll take up less room in your suitcase. This is also an environmentally friendly option, since you can purchase floss refills instead of replacing the whole kit when you run out of floss. Plus, there’s no plastic, so it’s an environmental win-win.
Single use flossers are less environmentally friendly, but are a great option for travel. You’ll be disposing of them as you go, so you’ll leave the trip lighter than when you began. If sustainability is a concern of yours, there are compostable single use flossers, but this option necessitates that you are traveling somewhere with the infrastructure to support composting.
Opt For Slim Toothbrushes
Toothbrushes come in many shapes and sizes, but not all those designs are conducive to easy travel. Many popular electric toothbrush models take up way too much space in a toiletries bag—not to mention the added weight.
Manual toothbrushes, on the other hand, have a slim footprint and can easily slip into your bag without taking up too much space. It can be tough to transition back to manual toothbrushes again if you are accustomed to electric, but these models can actually deliver the same level of clean if you’re diligent when brushing.
If you‘re highly committed to electric toothbrushes there’s no need to despair, because there are affordable models that are nearly the same size as manual toothbrushes. Typically, these models are battery operated, so you won’t need to bring your whole charging station on your trip. Just make sure your batteries are new before you leave, and you’ll be all set.
Clear Aligners Over Braces
Orthodontic treatment is a big time commitment. Not just the length of the treatment (which can be 18–24 months), but the office visits too. During treatment, you’ll need to attend in-person appointments every 6–10 weeks. That kind of frequency can make planning a trip a little challenging. Who wants to rush back home for the sake of an orthodontist appointment?
Thankfully, there are ways around this barrier to travel: remote clear aligners. Also known as at-home clear aligners, this option removes the in-person element of treatment, freeing you up to check in with your provider anywhere you have an internet connection.
Without these time sensitive appointments, your trip can pretty much be as long as you’d like it to be. You’ll have remote check-ins with your provider from time to time, but all you’ll need is your phone camera and access to email.
Choose Whitening Pens or Strips
Travel creates hundreds of great photo opportunities, but the last thing anyone wants is for their Christmas card fodder to be ruined by yellow teeth. If you’re used to maintaining a bright smile, you don’t need to give up this practice just because you’re away from home.
Sure, there are some whitening methods that are impractical for travel—like professional sessions or large LED kits with lots of equipment—but there are plenty of options that can easily fit into your toiletries bag and keep your smile bright during your travels.
Whitening strips and pens are highly practical whitening methods for travel; but your whitening goals will determine which option is best suited for you. If you’re hoping to just maintain your already white smile during your travels, then a whitening pen is a great option. These are small, highly portable, and typically have a very low peroxide concentration which makes them perfect for stain prevention and maintenance in between other whitening treatments.
Maybe life got in the way before the trip and you didn’t have the chance to whiten prior to takeoff. In that case, whitening strips can offer an easy on the go solution that doesn’t sacrifice results. Even better, most are sold in slim packaging. Whitening strips usually boast a more potent peroxide concentration than whitening pens; and since the strips work as a barrier between the gel and your saliva, the formula is less likely to wash away.
Conclusion
These changes may seem small at first, but the more items you can shrink down, the easier your packing will be. Plus, this can leave more room for making purchases during your travels! Dental items can add a lot of bulk to your suitcase; but if you keep these opportunities for lighter packing in mind, your dental kit will be travel-ready in no time.
