There is one thing that most families neglect to do prior to traveling internationally and that is visit the dentist. “Why bother?” is the obvious question. Dental pain can be excruciating and the last place you want it to occur is outside of your regular environment, caring for small children, let alone on a long haul flight. I suggest to families that as well as scheduling a pre-travel medical visit, all family members (with teeth!) should visit the dentist six weeks before travel. Even pre-schoolers will usually comply with a dental examination (my son did from age 3) and a visit before an overseas trip is a good way to stress the importance of dental health to your children. As well as the pain and inconvenience that will be experienced if your trip is interrupted by a dental crisis, the expense of dental care overseas may be prohibitive. Even if you do visit a dentist before you travel you should also purchase travel insurance that will cover you for dental emergencies when traveling internationally.
