A Social Issue with Teeth

Yesterday's "Dear Prudence" advice column over at Slate led off with a dilemma that couldn't help but attract our attention here at Hamlin Dental Group. It's certainly an issue any highly experienced dentist in Van Nuys, or most other parts of the Greater L.A. area would have dealt with fairly often...but which might be fairly rare for the rest of us.

The woman writing in has a new beau who, as always seems to be case with these kind of advice columns, is just about perfect in every way but one: He's missing a number of teeth in the front of his mouth. Not surprisingly, his new girlfriend is nervous about introducing him to her family.

Of course, the first instinct of a dentist in North Hollywood or anywhere else is to point out that missing teeth of this type have potentially serious health consequences, social issues aside. At the same time, it's intriguing to consider just why having a full set of front teeth really is a sort of price of social admission for adults.

As advice columnist Emily Yoffe points out, you've got to be impressed by the "personality chops" of a guy who could overcome such an issue in a romance, because the lack of prominent front teeth -- either natural, bridgework, or prosthetic -- is so rare in middle-class America. It's hard to think of a single physical deficiency that would be as difficult to overcome as that, but somehow, he did. Finding a job, particularly one that involves working with many other people, might be a little bit harder.

There's no getting around the primacy of teeth in the way we look at and, unfairly or not, judge each other. Clearly, if you're missing even one tooth, you want to have that taken care of by a top quality dentist -- whether or not it's in the front of your mouth. If you're not missing a tooth, you want to keep it that way. Your best bet is to find your way to a first-rate dentist in Northridge, Van Nuys, or North Hollywood. Just give Hamlin Dental a call at 888-400-8011.

Make the Best First Impression with a Great Smile!

When meeting new people, you obviously want to always put your best foot ward and look presentable and polished. What many may neglect are their teeth, however, to their own detriment. A straight, white smile and fresh breath go a long way to even subconsciously raising the odds that a person will approve of you. The same can be said for the business world, because who would want to hire someone to to a job at their company if their teeth are missing, chipped, cracked or otherwise in bad shape?

Think of the health aspect, as well. Oral hygiene is not only important for social interaction, it is of critical importance in overall health. A healthy mouth is often the result of frequently seeing the dentist for cleanings and checkups, to ensure that everything is up to par. Your dentist, such as the friendly staff at Hamlin Dental Group, can help keep your teeth looking their best, with general, cosmetic and restorative work. So if you're looking for a dentist in Northridge, Van Nuys or North Hollywood, Hamlin Dental has you covered.

January 25th is "Find a Dentist Day," from The Academy of General Dentistry. If you aren't already having routine cleanings and checkups, make sure you start! Visit www.hamlindentalgroup.com to learn more about how we are the best dentist in North Hollywood, Van Nuys and Northridge.

It's a Simple Equation - A Healthy Mouth = A Healthy Body!

We're now further enough into 2014 to know whether we'll be successful with our new year's resolutions or - let's be honest - probably not! Now that we have settled into 2014, though, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to focus on other aspects of life that make our lives happier, healthier, and altogether more enjoyable. As the most trusted dentist in Northridge, it should come as no surprise that our team at Hamlin Dental Group is always eager to remind our clients of the incredible benefits that come from simple, daily oral hygiene.

Most everyone understands the importance of ensuring strong, beautiful teeth, but the truth is that a healthy mouth and a healthy body go hand in hand. Good oral hygiene can improve your overall health, reduce the risk of serious disease and possibly even preserve your memory into old age. For those in Southern California, these advantages can be enjoyed along with warm, gentle dentistry at Hamlin Dental Group. As the top dentist in North Hollywood, Northridge and Van Nuys, our general, cosmetic and restorative dentistry is enjoyed by patients of all ages, helping children and seniors alike to reduce the risk of infection in their bodies, lower the risk of heart disease, and much more.

Simply put - the benefits of good oral hygiene can scarcely be overstated, and the efforts of the dental team at Hamlin Dental Group are always top notch.

The Future of Dentistry

If you're over a certain age, the idea that it's now 2014 can be bit overwhelming, if only because a lot of us really were expecting flying cars by now -- but that's not to say that there haven't been some pretty amazing technological innovations in just about every field. Of course, if you're a dentist in Van Nuys, you're going to be most interested in the technologies that impact dentistry. Certainly digital technology in regards to dental X-rays has sped up the process of diagnosis.

Since Hamlin Dental Group is all about gentle dentistry, we're also happy to say that great strides have been made in terms of anesthesia. While no one loves getting that first shot of Novocaine, today's younger dental-phobes would be terrified to know what a hypo full of the stuff looked and felt like back in the 1970s; today's subtler approach to injections might not be the dental equivalent of flying cars, but it's definitely important. So are the big strides we've made in terms of cosmetic dentistry and orthodontia.

Now, we're reading about toothbrushes that actually use mobile apps to report back to parents about whether or not their kids are brushing sufficiently. We don't know whether to be delighted or slightly creeped out by that prospect, but there it is.

One thing we do know about the future of an individual dental prospects, which is that taking care of your teeth now is the best and only way way to insure you'll still have them in the future! If you've been putting off a visit, it might be time to turn to the office for a   dentist Northridge, North Hollywood, and Van Nuys residents turn to first by calling us right away at 888-400-8011.