Spring break is the perfect time to relax, explore new places, and make memories with family and friends. Whether you’re heading to the beach, the mountains, or visiting relatives, it’s easy for healthy habits to slip while you’re on the go. One routine that should never take a vacation? Your smile care.
At Big Sky Dental Clinic, we often see patients return from trips with cavities, gum irritation, or dental emergencies that could have been prevented with a little planning. Here’s how to protect your smile and enjoy worry-free travel this spring.
Your teeth and gums don’t take days off. Changes in routine, increased snacking, sugary drinks, and skipped brushing sessions can quickly lead to plaque buildup, tooth sensitivity, or even painful infections. Neglecting smile care on the road can result in:
Staying consistent with your oral hygiene habits helps you avoid discomfort and costly urgent dental visits during or after your trip.
One of the best ways to protect your smile care routine is to visit Big Sky Dental Clinic before spring break. A quick exam and cleaning can catch small problems early and reduce your risk of dental emergencies while traveling.
Fortunately, it’s not hard to take good care of your teeth while you are traveling. Check out our 10 tips below.
1. Pack a Travel Smile Care Kit
Bring a toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash. Keep them in your carry-on or day bag so you can brush after meals or long flights.
2. Use a Toothbrush Cover or Case
Protect your toothbrush from germs and damage while it’s in your luggage.
3. Stick to Your Routine
Brush at least twice a day and floss once daily, even if your schedule is busy or your sleep routine changes.
4. Watch the Sugary Snacks and Drinks
Vacation treats are tempting, but frequent sugar exposure fuels cavities. Rinse your mouth with water after soda, juice, or sweets.
5. Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water helps wash away food particles and bacteria while keeping your mouth from drying out.
6. Chew Sugar-Free Gum
Gum with xylitol can stimulate saliva flow and help neutralize acids when brushing isn’t possible.
7. Protect Your Teeth During Activities
If you’re playing sports, hiking, or biking, wear a mouthguard to prevent chipped or broken teeth.
8. Don’t Use Your Teeth as Tools
Avoid opening packages, bottles, or bags with your teeth. This is a common cause of cracked teeth on vacation.
9. Bring Dental Wax and Pain Reliever
Dental wax can cover sharp edges from a loose bracket or chipped tooth. Over-the-counter pain relief can help temporarily until you see a dentist.
10. Know Where to Get Help
Before you leave, look up emergency dental clinics at your destination in case an urgent issue arises.
How can I take care of my teeth while traveling?
Pack a travel dental kit, brush twice daily, floss once a day, limit sugary snacks, drink water often, and chew sugar-free gum when brushing isn’t possible.
What should I do if I have a toothache on vacation?
Rinse with warm saltwater, use over-the-counter pain relief, avoid chewing on the sore side, and contact a local dentist as soon as possible.
Is it okay to skip flossing while on a trip?
No. Skipping flossing allows plaque and bacteria to build up quickly, increasing your risk of gum disease and cavities.
If you live in or around Big Sky, Montana, Big Sky Dental Clinic is here to help you keep your smile healthy year-round—at home and on the road. From preventive cleanings to emergency care, our friendly team is committed to your long-term oral health.
Before your next spring break adventure, call 406-872-0658 to schedule a visit with Big Sky Dental Clinic in Polson, MT. Let us help you enjoy your trip with confident, worry-free smile care.
They have alot to prove. Actions speak louder than words. In past experiences not with big Sky, It has been highway robbery. Ungodly bills n just temporary bandages that undoubtedly were not permanent fixes as promised. Wholeheartedly gonna try one more dentist out. Big Sky Dentistry I feelTransparency needs to be upfront n foremost! Wishful thinking...... Deb
Friendly, kind, knowledgeable and gentle staff. They took their time cleaning and were gentle.
I have no complaints about your service. It was great.
My cleaning was well done. Everyone is so professional
I was late and they didn't skip a beat. Didn't make me feel bad, met my needs, and was quick and efficient
The efficiency, professionalism and friendliness of this dental office is always appreciated. Thank you for taking such good care of me this week. My new crown is perfect!
Great care and great staff
Dr Chris and Lori were great Dr Chris kept me well informed and Emily is a peach always making sure I was comfortable
Dr Clave and his team ROCK! Dr. Clave explains everything he is doing and is very pleasant. Lori is the best dental hygienist and does such a great job! Ive never had such great dental care!
Everytime the best experience possible. Love the expertise and the pro staff!
Love this dental family!!! Been going since I was 7!!!!
So appreciate Dr. Clave listening and being willing to do the small things as well. It made a big difference for me today.
Great professional team! Thanks for your dedication and service to-the patients!
Big Sky Dental Clinic has always been great! My daughter actually enjoys her dentist visits! The staff are amazing, friendly and professional!
Very informative professional, and excellent service
I always get great care at Big Sky Dental Clinic, whether it's a scheduled cleaning or a crown. Thanks to Dr. Crave and his professional staff.
2017:When we moved to Montana, I selected Big Sky Dental because Dr Clave chose the Polson area to raise is family, because he is relatively young which means more modern dental education and up to date treatments. We have not been disappointed. Excellent customer relations; excellent dentistry. Excellent staff. THANKS Dr Clave and all. 051718 forgot appt, got call to come in late anyway. See above, nothing has changed, except now familiar with staff and almost two years of dentistry to wife and I from Dr. Clave and staff - - top of the line! 052019 As ALWAYS, in for 6-mo cleaning/check up with my preferred dental hygenist. We left a great dental staff in Oregon and I researched thoroughly before choosing Big Sky. Modern, professional dentistry at its best. 112119 As ALWAYS, in for cleaning/check up with my preferred dental hygenist. As usual she did a great job - - no pain, lots of gain. Then with Dr Clave; took up some areas of concern, made plan, made appointments to carry out plan. Easy as 1, 2, 3, A, B, C - - - did Jackson Five just pass through? 120319 Bottom row, front five, surface fillings to prolong life and limit further friction/pressure damage - - without anesthesia; no pain. Then state of the art (digital) modeling for night guard. AS USUAL SUPERIOR patient care and gregarious and thoughtful staff. 010720 As ALWAYS, excellent staff, professional, friendly, prompt. 052620 Semi-ann cleaning. Wondered aloud why manual tools instead of the usual ultrasonics; advised that it is a Covid19 precaution as the ultrasonics cause an atmosphere/cloud of saliva moisture. Anyway, hygienist did the most comfortable cleaning with manual tools I have ever experienced! Viva, Big Sky Dental ! ! ! 120320 Semi-annual cleaning. Wondered aloud (habit) about continual upgrades to methods and equipment - Dr Clave upgrades methods and equipment when he is certain of a distinct value to both his patients and his practice. As usual, efficient, gregarious staff are the jewel in the crown (okay, okay, pun intended. 011922 In for semi-annual cleaning. Talked with Dr Clave about new equipments - he has his eye on upgrades that add to his ability to deliver modern dentistry to us patients. Then had teeth cleaned - expertly and painlessly AS USUAL. Big Sky Dental is TOPS! Highly recommend Dr. Clave and crew. 012423: As usual, from receptionist to hygeinist to dentist, on time, superbly professional but friendly - - engendering a comfortable atmospher - - this is the place! 030524 In for semi-annual cleaning. As usual, had teeth cleaned expertly and painlessly - - did I mention: AS USUAL? Talked with Dr Clave about his new lazer and its various applications; eight years ago, when we moved to Polson, one of the reasons we chose and have remained with Big Sky Dental is that Dr Clave ensures that his dentistry is kept modern. Kudos to Dr. Clave and crew ! ! ! 050824 In for cavity filling - - I can't even believe I had a cavity! But, as usual, Dr Clave and staff got me in, prepped, fixed and out the door with a perfect fit filling. Again, did I mention: AS USUAL? Kudos ... as usual ... to Dr. Clave and staff. 100924 In for semi-annual cleaning- AS USUAL, excellent cleaning. Also discussed change in provider status with Delta Dental; we discussed pocketbook effect of change - - and discussed Big Sky Dental membership plan and benefits which appear to be significantly less expensive than my annual plan with Delta; am still doing some investigating but will probably drop Delta at end of plan year and go with Dr. Clave's plan. Kudos to Big Sky for having the receptionist also be the billing person who is knowledgeable and can discuss ramifications of both plans! 070725 Consistency ... see all previous postings for past eight years ... the only thing that has changed is that Dr. Clave has continued to update his practices and equipments - including minor interior design which welcomes his patients. It doesn't get any better - sure it does. 012026 Business as usual excellent care excellent staff thank you
Great skills, great comfort, great customer service!
This wonderful office is a true gem if you need dental expertise and a professional, compassionate team to assist with your dental needs. Just had my teeth cleaned with a great hygienist skilled at getting the procedure done without any pain and very attentive to my comfort. Thanks so much-Great job!!
I have a complicated dental history and I am always grateful for the careful and kind treatment I receive at this practice by everyone in the chain of my care.🌷
it was the most fun I had all year
Everyone at the office are kind, knowledgable, and comfortable to be around. Would highly recommend this dentist and dental office!
This place is the best! Dr Clave and his entire staff are very skilled, kind and comforting. They do awsome dental procedures in a comfortable environment. Thank you for a pleasant experience.
Best appointment ever!
Always polite, professional and ready to answer your questions and concerns.
Great care…..don’t care for going to the dentist but Big Sky Dental is a pleasure.
Very kind, no judgments and did exactly what I wanted to and didn’t try to oversell me. Very good service in my opinion.
(Translated by Google) They excel. (Original) Excelllent
Clean, happy, friendly, child-accommodating dental office. Dr and staff were great!
His focus and attention to detail were greatly appreciated.
Chris did my cleaning on this visit. She is outstanding, she’s funny and great to talk with. She’s always in a good mood and very professional
so friendly and very professional
Dr. Chris Clave is a great dentist and provides excellent care as does all the dental staff and front office personnel. Chris takes the time to explain options and procedures. Everyone there makes an effort to make sure you are comfortable.
Very comfortable atmosphere, have had a lot of work through the years with this office and they never disappoint
Professional staff
Professional care, concerned about patients oral health and well being. I enjoy the atmosphere and the dental assistants who assisted me as well as Dr. Clave's advice and opinions on my oral health.
This place and these people are the BEST!
Excellent and professional work -- always!!! Thanks Dr. and Lori, and Emily!
Lorie is a wonderful feral hygienist I appreciate everything she does for me. She’s the greatest thank you Gail Peterson. Lorie is a fantastic hygienist, she dose a Super thorough job cleaning your teeth . Another great job by Lorie my hygienist. She’s always professional and through.
Everyone at Big Sky Dental is so kind and always striving to make going to the dentist a positive experience.
They are very professional. They are always exceptional.
Thanks Lori you are the best!
Best hygienist in polson.
I'm from out of town and my tooth broke. I was able to get an appointment on short noticr with Dr Clave & the team at Big Sky dental. They truly are are amazing, kind, patient, and his whole staff was awesome. The tooth could not be salvaged, but they got me taken care of quickly. They used a laser instead of scrapling metal tools to clean out the socket after extraction to minimize trauma/pain, it was seriously the least traumatic dental procedure I've had. I was expecting extreme pain and I'm sore in my jaw, but not really in pain. I had so much anxiety about this procedure and they put me at ease and made the whole experience as painless and enjoyable as possible. I cant say enough good things about the team at Big Sky.
I'd recommend Big Sky Dental to anyone. The hygienist did a great job cleaning my teeth. This is an outstanding Dental practice in Polson, MT. Great staff, service, and dental patient care.
Everyone at Big Sky Dental Clinic is always so friendly and helpful! Dr. Clave is highly skilled and knowledgeable.
Love the staff and Dr. Clave. The atmosphere of the entire office is inviting and welcoming. Would recommend highly to all my friends.
My 3 year old was very pleased with the service, very nice people.
The whole office is kind and trustworthy.
Professional care with community spirit. Dr. Clave is thorough in explaining options and his rationale for recommended work. I see teamwork in the office; they clearly get along well together and work as a unit, which is crucial for a top notch medical business. Sometimes I even hear a team member singing a bit, and that tells me that it's a well run office, where staff are comfortable, competent, and not intimidated by the leader. Thanks, all of you.
Best experience I even had at the dentist. The staff was super friendly and helpful. Dr. Clave was very kind and explained everything to me. Highly Recommended!!!
Everyone is friendly nice and professional.
Friendly staff and top notch service. Thank you for keeping our smiles heathly!
Everyone always says I will feel pain after they clean my teeth. They always feel better within a few minutes. Thanks for helping me keep my teeth healthy.
Friendly, caring, professional staff.
Comfort - Friendly - Competent - Quality - patient interaction and skills. They also listen !
Dr. Chris Clave and staff are great. I’ve been going there for several years and wouldn’t go anywhere else for my dental needs. I highly recommend them. I recently had an involved procedure done. Dr. Clave replaced all my old crowns on my upper back teeth. my front teeth had a lot of fillings so he crowned those also, in total 14 teeth. Dr. Clave's assistant Lauri made all the crowns in their lab and they all fit perfectly the first try. My teeth lock great now thanks to Dr. Clave and Lauri. I had my teeth cleaned on Tuesday by Lori my hygienist. As usual see did a great job. As always I recommend Big Sky Dental Clinic. I had my regular cleaning the other day and as expected Lori did a great job. Dr Clave and staff are always wonderful.
It was a good visit. A bit of a wait but good.
We saw a hygienist named Kris, she was very thorough and explained everything she did in detail to put my 3 yr old at ease. Highly recommend, great patient care
always a great appointment - thorough prophy, digital mapping, digital BW’s, doctor exam included in the monthly payment schedule.
I was absolutely thrilled with my appointment at Big Sky Dental. Dr. Chris Clave took an exceptional amount of time to discuss my unique concerns and treatment options, and he went even further by patiently answering all of my questions until I felt completely confident about the timeline and process ahead. The support staff were equally impressive—warm, welcoming, and professional—creating an environment where I felt comfortable expressing my worries and concerns. I highly recommend Big Sky Dental, Dr. Clave, and his outstanding team!
Very good and gentile with the tooth cleaning. I fear dentist for that reason. These guys definitely know what they are doing. Kudos!
