Traveling This Summer? How to Keep Oral Habits on Track

Summer travel is exciting, but it can also disrupt healthy routines—especially the ones that support breathing, sleep, and oral health. Whether you’re road-tripping up the coast or flying out of Orange County for a long-awaited vacation, it’s worth thinking about how travel can affect your child’s (or your own) oral habits.

Changes in sleep schedules, food choices, hydration, and even posture can influence the way we breathe and use the muscles of the face and mouth. For children and adults working on improving oral function through myofunctional therapy, staying consistent with good habits can help prevent setbacks and support long-term progress.

Here are a few easy ways to keep oral habits on track while enjoying your summer adventures.

1. Prioritize Nasal Breathing, Even on the Go

New environments can lead to stress, fatigue, and allergy flare-ups—all of which can make mouth breathing more likely. Keep an eye out for signs of open-mouth posture while traveling. This might show up in the car seat, on a plane, or while lounging at the hotel.

If you or your child tend to breathe through the mouth during sleep or quiet times, try gently encouraging lip closure and nasal breathing. Travel pillows that support proper head positioning and sleeping slightly elevated may also help reduce open-mouth posture during naps or overnight sleep.

For families I work with here in Orange County, learning to spot these patterns during everyday routines makes it easier to stay consistent, even when away from home.

2. Stick to Chewing-Friendly Foods

It’s easy to fall into soft-food habits during vacation. Yogurt, soft pastries, chips, and ice cream are common on-the-go options, but they don’t encourage much chewing effort. Try to balance convenience with function by including firm fruits like apples, crunchy veggies, beef jerky, or sandwiches with hearty bread.

Chewing helps keep the jaw muscles active and supports proper tongue posture. If you’ve been working on these habits through myofunctional therapy, summer is not the time to let go of those gains. Think of meals as built-in opportunities for oral function.

3. Keep a Travel-Friendly Routine

Bringing a few small items can go a long way in supporting consistency. A travel mirror, nasal saline spray, and reusable straw can help reinforce habits like nasal breathing, correct swallowing, and proper tongue posture.

Brushing and flossing should stay part of the routine, but this is also a good time to check in on posture and mouth use. Are lips closed during quiet time? Is the tongue resting on the palate? These moments of awareness keep healthy habits top of mind, even when schedules are more relaxed.

If you’re in Southern California or based here in Orange County, I often encourage families to treat summer not as a break from therapy, but as a time to apply what they’ve learned in new environments.

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Whether you’re traveling across the state or just spending more time outdoors this summer, small adjustments can help keep oral habits strong and consistent. With a little planning, you can enjoy the season without losing momentum on the progress you or your child have made through myofunctional therapy.

Suggested blog post:

Mouth Breathing and Face Shape: Is There a Connection?