Expert Panel Recommends Primary Care Physicians Play a Role in Kids' Dental Health

At Hamlin Dental Group we like to use our blog to have fun at times - I suppose we wouldn't be the dentist in Northridge that is most trusted for our warmth and friendliness if we didn't enjoy a chuckle and a smile every so often! However, there are some issues that we can't help but be serious about, and one is the dental health of our children.

Like almost everyone, we too can get lost in internet browsing from now and then. On occasion, though, we'll come across some truly useful information, which is precisely what happened when we found a recent article on medicalxpress.com. The title of the article, "Primary care docs should play role in kids' dental health, experts say", pretty much says it all.

According to the article, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent expert panel, advises that primary care physicians use fluoride varnish and oral fluoride supplements to help prevent early tooth decay in children. "Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in American children, but only about one out of four children under 6 years old visit a dentist," says Dr. Virginia Moyer, the task force chair.

However, there is some good news. Says Dr. Moyer, "Fortunately, evidence shows that primary care clinicians can play an important role in helping to reduce tooth decay, substantially improving children's health." As the most trusted dentist in Van Nuys and throughout the San Fernando Valley, that has certainly been our experience as well.

In the fight against tooth decay, raising awareness is always commendable, so we appreciate the work of Dr. Moyers and her team! Remember to combat tooth decay by making regular appointments at Hamlin Dental!

Alcohol's Effects on Dental Health

As a local neighborhood dentist in Northridge, Van Nuys, and North Hollywood, the Hamlin Dental Group staff fields a lot of questions about candy and sugary food's effect on the health of our patients' teeth. However, we don't frequently hear about the role alcohol has to play on our teeth.

One of alcohol's biggest detrimental effects on our teeth is the fact that it decreases the amount of saliva present in our mouth. Saliva helps fight bacteria in the mouth, keeping bad bacteria at bay. Chewing gum and drinking/rinsing your mouth out with water between and after drinks can improve saliva flow in your mouth, minimizing the effects of alcohol.

There are other issues at play when it comes to alcohol and teeth. Mixers, beer, and wine that are high in acidity can wear down enamel, of course. Many also tend to betray their nightly brushing and flossing when coming home after a night out. We, as your dentist in North Hollywood and around Los Angeles, want to make a plea to remember to brush your teeth even after a night of fun!

As with most of life's indulgences, amazing dental health can still be maintained through a bit of moderation and regular dental check-ups. Come visit Hamlin Dental Group for a dentist in Van Nuys, North Hollywood, or Northridge that can help guarantee pristine dental hygiene.

Irreplaceable?

You should definitely continue to believe your dentist when he or she warns you that your teeth, once lost, are never coming back. Even here at Hamlin Dental Group a lost natural tooth will remain forever lost and replaceable only with implants or dentures. However, in the future, at least, that may not always be the case thanks to some very interesting potential new technology.

It's not like the possibility of growing new teeth later in life is necessarily completely brand new. It's a bit creepy and we can't be sure of the veracity of the news story. However, a couple of very old men in Vietnam have allegedly grown what sounds like late-life baby teeth. While that's not the kind of story a dentist in Van Nuys hears every day, it's also by its nature the flukiest of flukes.

On the other hand, a study that was published in the Journal of Dental Research and was then was then picked up earlier this spring in Science World Daily indicates that new teeth, biologically engineered from stem cells in the gums, might someday be able to regrow teeth, with far better results than modern day dental implants. This might also sound a bit creepy, the still very preliminary advances we have come from combining human and mouse cells together to create hybrid teeth that could be prototypes for the ability of a dentist in Northridge or anywhere else being able to simply grow a new tooth in your mouth when the old one is lost.

Pretty interesting but, like we said, it's a little bit of a ways off -- and even then, you'll still want to take good care of  your teeth. This procedure is likely to be time consuming and expensive. Possibly also a bit controversial. So, if you haven't visited our offices yet, it's a great time to schedule a consultation and remember to brush, floss, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash regularly. Losing even a single tooth is never going to be a good thing.