A person is brushing their teeth in a bathroom sink.

How to Maintain Good Oral Care when the Power Goes Out

When your power just goes out, the last thing on your mind is probably taking good care of your teeth.

However, if the power outage lasts for hours or even days, your thoughts at some point will probably turn to how great it would feel if you could brush your teeth!

Here are a few tips on maintaining good oral care, even when you don’t have electricity, courtesy of the staff at Aria Dental of Annapolis!

No electricity

Hopefully, long before the electricity went out, you put together an emergency kit. If you normally depend on a water pik or some other electronic method to keep your teeth clean, you should make sure that your kit has some good old-fashioned floss, toothbrushes, and toothpaste!

No light

Make sure you have flashlights to brush by in that kit — it’s a good idea to make sure there is at least one flashlight for each member of the family has one. Or, you can get a battery-powered lantern, which is easily set on the counter so that your hands are free. Make sure that whatever light method you choose you have lots of batteries for it!

Of course, you can always go for candles, a kerosene lantern, a hand crank lantern, or glow sticks as well (kids especially love glow sticks).

No water

Having no electricity often means having no running water to brush your teeth with and, of course, drinking lots of water is good for the body and the teeth. And, even if you do have running water, there is a chance that it may not be safe to drink. Experts may recommend boiling water that may be unsafe, but if your power is out this is easier said than done.

That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure you always keep some bottled water in your emergency kit. Experts suggest that you should store a enough for a two-week supply of water, at one gallon per day, per person — and don’t forget to store some for pets, too!.

You can either buy some bottled water at the store, or stock up on tap water. You can clean out 2 liter soda bottles and use them to store tap water.

If you know that a storm is coming and think the power might go out, take some of the smaller water bottles and pack them in the freezer so they freeze. This will not only help to keep your frozen food cold even when the power is out, but you can take out a water bottle, let it melt a bit, and have a nice cool drink.

When the power is out, it can be inconvenient and annoying and even downright scary. It can help if you can maintain your regular schedule and habits, and this, of course, includes maintaining good oral health habits!

At Aria Dental of Annapolis MD, we want you to be safe and comfortable if something happens and the power goes out. And, we want to make sure your teeth are healthy and clean. Call Aria Dental to make an appointment today!
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