Tickets are booked, tents are packed and festival season is upon us once again. If this is the first time you’ve camped with braces or Invisalign aligners, you’ll want to give some thought to that as well as to which flower crown and wellies to pack. 

Here are our top tips for enjoying a festival with braces. 

1. Pack for all dental eventualities 

Festivals usually mean camping, which always makes everyday things like dental care a little trickier. Add a few dental must-haves to your packing list so you’re ready for anything:

• An extra case for your aligners

• Plenty of bottled water for drinking and cleaning

• Hand san, in case you can’t wash your hands before removing your aligner

• Cleaning tablets for aligners so you can soak them, even if running water is hard to come by. Also, ask your orthodontist about wipes and sprays you can buy for cleaning aligners

• Dental wax in case of a broken wire 

• Mouthwash

2. Don’t let bad habits creep in while you’re away

Try to keep up your usual dental care routine but look: it’s probably only for a couple of nights so don’t let it ruin your fun either. Here are a few easy ways to go easy on your braces or aligners while you’re at a festival

• Always clean your teeth, even if it’s a basic job. You can actually buy swallowable toothpaste but in an emergency, a good brush round with a mouthful of water is better than nothing. 

• Make sure you have plenty of bottled water in case the loos are truly grim or otherwise unavailable. 

• Try to stick to eating at main meals rather than snacking and drinking all day long, particularly if you have aligners and won’t be able to clean your teeth properly between snacks.

3. Think about what you’re eating.

Brace-wearers tend to remember not to chew toffees but they often forget that the worst food-offenders can be festival classics like pizza slices and crusty bread. If there’s a choice, go for dishes containing well-cooked veg - chillis and curries are a good choice - and avoid anything you can’t put in your mouth in bite-sized pieces and instead have to tear with your teeth. We’re looking at YOU, steak baguette!

4. Carry plenty of water.

Take a refillable bottle so you can top up whenever you need to. Water is so important for your general health but doubly so when you’re taking extra care of your gums, and it’s so useful to be able to have a good swill every now and then. 

5. Take a mini emergency bag.

A small cross-body bag you can keep on you at all times is big enough to hold your wallet, keys, phone and… 

• A spare case if you have aligners so you don’t lose them while you’re eating

• A tiny portable toothbrush

• Small tube of toothpaste

6. Don’t do anything stupid.

Easier said than done, we know, when you’re away with friends, staying up all night and - dare we say it - enjoying a few drinks. But if you try to keep a sensible head on, you might just avoid a trip to the orthodontist when you get home. And for the love of all things dental, don’t ever, EVER open a beer bottle with your teeth. 

7. But don’t panic if you have an ‘incident’.

If you do have an accident and end up breaking a brace or aligner, don’t panic and above all, don’t let it spoil your fun. Here’s what to do in a disaster:

• Ring and let us know what’s happened and we can advise you over the phone. 

• Or even better, send us a form and a photo so we can assess the damage quickly. 

• If necessary, pop along to an orthodontist or dentist close to where you are.

• In dire straits just do your best. A bit of dental wax or cotton wool can stop a piece of loose wire rubbing for a few hours. If you’ve lost an aligner, just book an appointment for the moment you get back so you don’t go any longer than is necessary without wearing one. Most festivals are only a night or two so it’s not like you’ll have to go a fortnight until you can get sorted.

8. Keep smiling!

You’ve invested so much in your new smile, so make the most of it, even during treatment. Get plenty of photos and show that confident grin off as you make lots of summer memories.