At last, the most anticipated time of the year has arrived: the days grow longer, the temperatures rise… and with the final day of school, our children welcome the start of summer vacation.

After months spent bent over books or following their teachers’ guidance, the long‑awaited freedom of summer is a moment of pure joy for the little ones. Ahead of them stretch endless weeks filled with play, exploration, and family holidays.

This slower pace naturally brings a more relaxed attitude toward rules. Bedtimes get later, ice cream becomes a more frequent treat – and teeth can feel the effects.

The daily routine gives way to the pleasant novelty of a week at the beach, a mountain retreat, or a visit to a city of art or a European capital. Nothing quite like a trip — with all its excitement and new experiences — can positively turn our children’s world upside down. It is up to us as parents to guide them in maintaining healthy smiles even when we set off towards our summer holiday destination. Let us never forget: younger teeth need a little extra care!

The schedule may be packed, and the inclination to enforce the rules may wane now that we can finally relax — but maintaining the oral hygiene routine we have taught our children to follow at home is the first step towards keeping their teeth healthy on holiday too. Encouraging younger ones to adopt a healthy habit may take weeks of effort, but just one week of laziness can undo all the progress made. The number one rule for every parent, therefore, must be to set the tone for the holiday with consistency: whether we are at the beach or in the mountains, after every meal — everyone brushes their teeth!

Swimsuit or hiking boots? Packed. Sun cream? Packed. But in our children’s luggage, we must also make sure to leave room for an oral hygiene kit. Pay particular attention to the toothbrush: make sure to use a perforated plastic toothbrush cover. Ventilation allows the bristles to stay dry, limiting bacterial growth.

The kit must also include the other essential elements for keeping teeth in top condition: toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, and saliva substitute sprays. On holiday, it is common to eat out or snack during a walk without having the immediate opportunity to brush, as we have taught our children to do. To deal with these pleasant predicaments, it can be very useful to carry a saliva substitute — it allows oral pH to be buffered after eating, limiting the proliferation of the bacteria that cause cavities and buying us the time we need to reach a toothbrush.

If we prefer to travel light — whether due to airline restrictions or because we have an on-the-go holiday planned — it is useful to choose oral hygiene products in travel-sized packaging, or to decant the desired amount into reusable containers.

The summer holidays are the perfect time to indulge in a few treats. Whether it is an ice cream snack after a day at the beach or a slice of cake at a mountain lodge, our children are never more exposed to continuous temptations than when we are on holiday.
Limiting sugar intake is always rule number one for keeping teeth healthy. A little indulgence is fine, but whenever possible we should encourage kids to choose healthier options, such as fresh fruit snacks.

It is the fundamental rule for staying healthy, but in the heat of the summer months it becomes even more important not to forget to stay adequately hydrated. Dehydration also affects oral health, causing a reduction in saliva production and therefore a greater susceptibility of the mouth to attack by harmful microorganisms.

Long train or plane journeys to reach holiday destinations can tempt our children to quench their thirst with less suitable drinks: it is always better to avoid consuming sweet and carbonated beverages, which are often acidic and consistently harmful to dental health.

Finally, on a sunny afternoon the temptation to quench one’s thirst with an ice-cold drink is irresistible. Ice, however, is no friend to teeth — it can damage enamel and cause painful reactions in those who are particularly sensitive. Using a straw helps limit this type of damage, although it is always preferable to consume beverages that are not excessively cold.

The weeks before departure are the ideal time for a dental check-up: let us suggest to our children that they schedule their periodic visit shortly before the holiday, so that they can head into their well-deserved days of rest with teeth and gums in top condition. Nobody wants to risk a cavity on the beach, after all!

Holidays are approaching, and with them, our usual oral hygiene routine often takes a little break.

Unfortunately, hot weather and prolonged sun exposure can contribute to bothersome inflammation, often causing sudden toothaches and sore gums. It’s important to stay vigilant, even when you’re far from home.

With the increasing consumption of cold and/or particularly sugary beverages, the risk of Cavities, Dental Erosion, and Sensitivity also grows exponentially.

Frequent snacks or drinks between meals don’t help either, as they constantly lower the pH in the mouth, leaving teeth exposed to prolonged demineralization and more vulnerable to acid attacks that cause erosion.

During long flights, when tap water is often unavailable, even brushing your teeth may be impossible.

In all of these cases, Cariex® will be your most trusted companion. A few sprays after eating immediately raise pH, preventing Cavities, Erosion, and Dentinal Hypersensitivity, while leaving you with a pleasant sensation of freshness.

Ask for It at Your Pharmacy and Pack It in Your Suitcase!

Life for little ones is far busier than it might seem – they have so much to learn every day! Not just walking, and later reading, writing, and counting. Most importantly, children need to learn to take care of themselves through small daily habits that, for us adults, have become second nature.

Brushing their teeth is no small feat for a child, and teaching proper oral hygiene can be a challenge for parents. But it’s a challenge worth taking on: by learning from an early age to care for their teeth, children can grow up with a healthy, confident smile.

Unfortunately, when it’s time to pick up the toothbrush, tantrums can arise. Kids may refuse, stomp their feet, insist they absolutely must do something else, or – if you’re lucky – brush quickly just to get back to playing.

Over time, these rushed or skipped brushing sessions can harm their dental health and also create frustration for parents, who are already juggling work, health, and family life.

Turning oral hygiene into a fun experience can be the key to making this routine a positive habit.

So, how can you do it? Here are some helpful tips!

Children, as we know, love to imitate what they see the “grown-ups” doing — whether it is sneaking into mum’s wardrobe to try on her shoes, or covering their face with shaving foam to be just like dad.
We can teach younger ones the habit of brushing their teeth by becoming an example to follow: if we show enthusiasm when using a toothbrush and toothpaste, presenting it as a pleasant and enjoyable activity, our children will naturally be inclined to imitate our behaviour — with very positive results!

Furthermore, let us learn to brush our teeth together with our children. Not only will we avoid leaving them to their own devices — perhaps brushing half-heartedly or incorrectly — but we will turn this moment into something special: an opportunity to have fun together while engaging in an activity that benefits the whole family. Let us show them how to use a toothbrush and dental floss correctly, and select — with them and for them — the best combination. We should opt for alcohol-free mouthwashes and oral sprays based on natural ingredients, capable of completing the cleaning routine and keeping the mouth healthy and fresh throughout the night, keeping at bay the bacteria responsible for cavities.

For younger children still learning the importance of brushing, encouragement through praise and small rewards can be effective. No sweets or candy, though – we don’t want to undo all the work of keeping their mouths healthy!

Sometimes a little goes a long way in making young ones feel proud of what they have accomplished: a golden star to stick on the calendar, the freedom to choose which bedtime story to have read to them, and why not — after a month of thorough brushing every evening — perhaps a small toy. In this way, tooth brushing will become something to look forward to with joy, rather than a battle to be fought in front of the bathroom sink!

Choosing the right tools can turn tooth brushing into a fun adventure for children! Let us try offering them a brightly coloured toothbrush — perhaps decorated with their favourite cartoon characters, or shaped like animals for the very youngest.

Toothpaste can also help turn tooth brushing into an enjoyable experience: the shelves of supermarkets and pharmacies are full of alternatives with far more appealing flavours than those we adults are used to. Strawberry or banana-flavoured products are perfectly fine — as long as they are specifically formulated for young children’s teeth!

Proper oral hygiene takes time. Brushing for only a few seconds is not enough – children need two, ideally three minutes … which can feel like forever!

To make the time pass more quickly, we can try using music — playing our children’s favourite music videos and making sure they brush for the entire duration of the song — or inventing little rhymes that mark out the time needed to brush properly. Another useful idea is to adopt a “tooth friend” — a soft toy whose teeth the children are in charge of brushing, turning responsibility into play and making good habits feel like a game.

When children are still too young to use a toothbrush safely — without risking accidental injury to the mouth that could create a painful memory associated with oral hygiene time — a convenient solution is saliva substitutes: practical natural-ingredient sprays that are safe for use even with the very youngest.

In fact, these sprays are suitable for every age, and in slightly older children — whose teeth are still developing and therefore more susceptible to cavities — they are a valuable ally alongside the toothbrush. Immediately after eating, oral pH becomes acidic due to the presence of food residues: this acidification, if prolonged, leads to demineralisation, dental erosion, and cavities. In this context, bicarbonate-rich saliva performs a fundamental buffering action, rebalancing pH to natural levels within 40 minutes. During this time window, it is advisable not to brush the teeth, as this facilitates the action of the acidic components of food and damages the enamel; it is therefore better to use natural dental sprays in the meantime — based on bicarbonate, they immediately rebalance oral pH and prevent demineralisation.
These small strategies can truly make the difference between an all-out battle and a few pleasant minutes spent together, carrying out an activity that should become a routine for the whole family.