As the year ends, many people are getting ready to take planes, trains, and cars all over the country to spend the holiday season with their loved ones. According to a report conducted by AAA, roughly 107.3 million Americans will journey at least 50 miles from home between December 23^rd and January 1^st. If you’re one of those people, while you’ve been packing and planning, have you considered how to keep your teeth healthy? Both traveling and the holidays can be difficult on your teeth, so keeping good oral health this time of year is essential to avoiding dental issues in the New Year. Here are the best holiday travel tips for maintaining a happy, healthy smile all season long!

You walk into your dentist office and sit down in the examination chair with a big smile. You’re feeling confident about how well you’ve taken care of your teeth since the last time you came here. You’ve been brushing twice a day for two minutes, and even flossed a little! Surely your dentist will see how flawless your teeth are. The dentist comes in and pokes around your mouth before sitting back to break the bad news: you have two cavities! It can be frustrating to practice great oral hygiene and suffer from tooth decay, especially if you feel like you get more cavities than your friends or family. If this sounds familiar, you may be cavity prone! Find out what factors in your life could be putting you at a higher risk for tooth decay.