Memorial Day weekend has become the unofficial start of summer, and it is a natural checkpoint to get your health, home, and travel plans in order before the season’s busy pace takes over. Between road trips, flights, and long weekends with family, your daily routines change quickly once summer starts, and a few simple preparations now can prevent avoidable problems later, including the kind that show up in your mouth.
At Bagoff & Levenbrook Dental Arts, we see a predictable pattern every summer: patients who skip their pre-vacation checkup are far more likely to call us with an urgent problem while they are traveling. Below, we walk through a practical checklist for getting your smile, your home, and your travel plans ready for summer, starting with the visit that belongs at the top of your general dentistry to-do list.
A Brief History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day did not become an official federal holiday until 1971, though Americans began gathering each spring to honor those lost in the Civil War as early as the 1860s. Today, communities across the country still mark the last Monday in May with parades and memorial services at veterans’ grave sites. Over time, the holiday has also come to represent something else: the unofficial start of summer, when road trips, vacations, and backyard gatherings begin in earnest. For more on how these traditions have evolved, see our related post on Memorial Day parades and remembrance traditions.
Schedule Your Pre-Summer Dental Checkup
The single most useful thing you can do before summer travel season begins is book a routine cleaning and exam. A dental visit can catch a small cavity, a cracked filling, or early gum inflammation before it turns into a toothache hundreds of miles from home. It also gives you a chance to ask about any planned procedures, since minor treatment is generally easier to schedule before your calendar fills up with trips and summer activities.
If it has been more than six months since your last visit, Memorial Day weekend is a good reminder to get back on the schedule. Our appointment request page makes it easy to find a time that works before your first summer trip.
Pack a Travel-Ready Dental Kit
Once your smile is cleared for travel, do not let your daily routine slip once you are away from home. Pack a small dental kit alongside your regular toiletries:
- A travel-size toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, kept in your carry-on rather than checked luggage.
- Floss or floss picks, which are easier to use on the go than traditional floss.
- A retainer or nightguard case if you wear either, so the appliance stays protected between uses.
- Sugar-free gum for after meals when brushing is not immediately possible.
A few extra ounces in your bag can prevent your oral hygiene routine from disappearing the moment your regular schedule does.
Protect Your Smile During Summer Activities
Summer brings more time outdoors, and with it, a higher chance of a dental injury from sports, pool games, or backyard activities. A properly fitted mouthguard is one of the simplest ways to protect your teeth during anything with a risk of contact, from pickup basketball to biking. We offer custom PlaySafe® sports mouthguards that fit more securely and comfortably than anything off a store shelf, which matters if your family is more active in the summer months. If your child plays a summer league sport, fitting them for a mouthguard before the season starts is worth the extra step.
Watch Sugary Drinks and Stay Hydrated
Hot weather means more lemonade, sports drinks, and iced tea, and all of that added sugar gives the bacteria in your mouth more fuel to produce the acid that causes cavities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends limiting food and drinks with added sugar and choosing water, ideally fluoridated tap water, as your primary drink throughout the day. Staying hydrated also helps your body produce enough saliva, which naturally rinses away food particles and buffers the acids that plaque bacteria create. If you do reach for something sugary, rinsing with water afterward is a simple habit that reduces how long sugar sits on your teeth.
Have a Plan for Dental Emergencies While You Travel
Even with good preparation, dental emergencies can still happen: a chipped tooth from a fall, a lost filling, or sudden tooth pain that will not wait until you get home. Before you leave, save the contact information for our emergency dentist services in your phone, and know that many dental issues can be temporarily managed with over-the-counter pain relief and cold compresses until you can see a dentist, whether that is us or a provider near your destination. Our dental emergencies page covers what to do for common situations like a knocked-out tooth or a lost crown, and it is worth a quick read before a long trip.
The Rest of Your Summer Readiness Checklist
A few non-dental tasks round out a smooth start to summer. Having your air conditioning system checked before Memorial Day can save you from a mid-July breakdown when repair technicians are booked solid. If you are traveling, basic home security steps, such as a timer on your lights, a request for a neighbor to collect mail, or a call to your local police department about your absence, give you peace of mind while you are away. None of these take long, and all of them mean fewer surprises when you get back.
Bagoff & Levenbrook Dental Arts has helped families throughout Livingston and the surrounding New Jersey communities get ready for summer for years, and the pattern is consistent: a quick pre-vacation checkup prevents far more problems than it causes. Our team checks for the small issues that tend to turn into big ones during a busy travel season, and we are happy to talk through any planned dental work you have been putting off before your trip.
Do not let summer plans get interrupted by a dental problem that a quick visit could have caught. Contact our Livingston, New Jersey office today to schedule your pre-summer checkup.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Ready for Summer
How soon before a summer trip should I schedule a dental checkup?
Ideally, schedule your checkup two to three weeks before you leave. This gives enough time to treat anything minor that turns up, such as a small cavity or a loose filling, without rushing the work right before your trip. If your schedule is tight, even a visit the week before travel is better than skipping it altogether.
What should be in a travel dental kit?
A basic travel dental kit should include a travel-size toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, floss or floss picks, and a case for a retainer or nightguard if you wear one. Sugar-free gum is a helpful addition for moments when brushing is not practical, such as during a long flight or road trip.
Are sports mouthguards necessary for casual summer activities?
A mouthguard is worth wearing for any activity with a real chance of contact to the face, including pickup basketball, biking, and pool games with diving or roughhousing. A properly fitted mouthguard is far more comfortable and effective than a generic store-bought version, and it is a small investment compared to the cost of repairing a chipped or knocked-out tooth.
Do sugary drinks really affect my teeth if I brush regularly?
Brushing helps, but it does not fully offset frequent sugar exposure throughout the day. Each time you drink something sugary, the bacteria on your teeth produce acid for roughly 20 minutes afterward. Sipping sugary drinks steadily over hours, which is common on road trips and at the pool, keeps your teeth in that acid-producing cycle far longer than drinking the same amount in one sitting.
What should I do if I have a dental emergency while traveling?
Contact a local dentist near your destination as soon as possible, since many practices accommodate emergency visits for travelers. In the meantime, over-the-counter pain relief, a cold compress for swelling, and avoiding hard or hot foods can help you manage discomfort. If a tooth is knocked out, keep it moist in milk or saliva and seek care within an hour or two for the best chance of saving it.
