Mindless Killing Machines Need Dentistry, Too!

Since this is Thanksgiving weekend, it might be a good time for us here at Hamlin Dental Group to talk about what we're thankful for. For starters,we're grateful for our patients who are, on the whole, really special people who are a delight to work with. Indeed, one thing a Hamlin dentist in Van Nuys, Northridge, or North Hollywood never has to face is the prospect of a patient who might decide to eat our hands during procedures, dental instruments and all.

The dentists of the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Canada, were not quite so fortunate as they had to operate on a young -- but already quite large -- 11 month-old bear cub named Aurora who had been abandoned by her mother. It seems that, despite the fact that bears don't usually have ready access to sugary junk food, unless you count the occasional honey-rich beehive, tooth decay does happen in the wild. Moreover, no zookeeper wants to have to deal with a bear with a nasty toothache.

Of course, the only way to perform even the most basic dental procedure on a wild animal with enormous teeth is with a significant amount of general anesthesia. Even so, it the kind of work that obviously takes at least a little bit of courage and not one for any bear-fearing alarmists of the Stephen Colbert school. Of course, our patients can occasionally get grumpy during a long procedure, but if we're worried they're going to bite our head off, we're very happy to know that it's a figure of speech, and not an actual possibility.

If you're not a bear, nor any other potentially man-eating predator, and in need of a
dentist in North Hollywood, Van Nuys, or Northridge, give us a call at 888-400-8011.

Never Be Ashamed of Good Dental Hygiene!

As dentists, we at Hamlin Dental Group are obviously used to encouraging people to practice the best dental hygiene possible. So, were just a bit taken aback yesterday to find a news story on a international gossip website that gently took Bollywood film star Nargis Fakhri to task for being seen brushing her teeth publicly on a film set. A dentist in North Hollywood or anywhere else could hardly disapprove of her actions, however. .

While we understand that you wouldn't brush your teeth in the middle of your office, there are times when conventional facilities for brushing may simply be unavailable. We're not sure of the precise situation that Ms. Fakhri found herself in, but we're sure if she had time and opportunity to get to a sink in a bathroom, she would have taken care of her teeth there.

Still, the story goes that the gorgeous 34 year-old star of Rockstar and Madras Cafe simply hadn't gotten an airplane and simply hadn't had a chance to take of her teeth in quite a while. Even if her behavior was a little unusual, we're not sure that extremism in the defense of one's teeth is a major vice.

If you'd like to start defending your teeth more vigorously, feel free to give Hamlin Dental Group, your resource for a great dentist in Northridge, North Hollywood and Van Nuys. Just call 888-400-8011