Surviving in the Wild: 3 Practical Dental Tips for Backpackers
Australia offers many opportunities and adventures for backpackers. When backpacking in Australia, it's important to be prepared. In particular, it's important to look out for your own dental hygiene, as dental hygiene is one of the most important health factors that many backpackers tend to overlook. But maintaining proper dental hygiene when there is a lack of resources can be difficult. Here are 3 practical dental tips that will make your life a lot easier when backpacking.
Remove Excess Packaging Whenever Necessary
Without a doubt, one of the primary factors that backpackers consider first when packing is capacity and weight. Fortunately, many important items that you need to keep your dental health in tip-top shape aren't heavy at all. You can further reduce the weight of these items by removing excess packaging. For example, remove dental floss from its container to save on room and weight.
Try Toothpaste Tablets for a Mess-Free Brushing Experience
If you can't find toothpaste that comes in small tubes or if they aren't widely-available in your area, then consider trying toothpaste tablets. Toothpaste tablets will foam up in your mouth in the same way that toothpaste does just by simply chewing on them. The tablets are perfect for backpackers because they are small and light. They are also extremely sanitary. You'll get all of the performance of toothpaste without the mess.
Look for Dental Tool Substitutes – Particularly for Flossing
No matter what you do, don't leave without at least some dental tools that will at least remove some of the plaque and bacteria that will be accumulating in your mouth. There are plenty of substitutes that will do the job for short periods of time. In particular, you want to make sure you floss daily, as studies show that it may be more important than brushing your teeth. Fortunately, there are plenty of dental tool substitutes for floss. For example, a metallic toothpick can double up as floss, and in worst case scenarios, using sewing thread as dental floss is also acceptable.
Conclusion
You should never take your dental hygiene for granted, especially if you intend to go on a long backpacking trip. If you neglect your dental hygiene, it will catch up to you in the long run. In the long run, poor dental health will have a huge detrimental effect on your overall health, so it is something that definitely should not be overlooked.
For more tips and tricks, consider talking with a local dentist, such as those at Creative Dentistry.