Halloween Candy can Be Scary for Your Teeth!

At Hamlin Dental Group, we are renowned for being the gentle dentists that are trusted throughout Southern California. We provide exceptional service as the premier dentist in North Hollywood, through Northridge, and thanks to our warm, friendly demeanor, we have proven as popular among children as we are among teens, adults and seniors.

As plenty of families throughout L.A. know, we enjoy a good time, as much as anyone, making the fun and macabre pageantry and Hamlin Dental Group a perfect combination. However, our expert dentists also never miss an opportunity to remind our young dental patients of the importance of hygiene while they are out among the Halloween ghouls trick-or-treating for candies that are often filled with sugar and other potentially damaging ingredients.

Among the worst candies for teeth are taffy and those filled with caramel, coconut, or nuts - those that stick to everything inside of the mouth, including the grooves of the teeth. This is a problem because food that sticks to the teeth allows for bacteria to feed on it, often leading to cavity-producing acid. Hard candies like lollipops and jawbreakers may not stick to the teeth, but they can still cause issues, as they take a long time to dissolve, and the longer a food stays in your mouth, the more acidic the mouth becomes.

While there are few (if any) candies that can be considered good for your teeth, we believe that the fun of Halloween and yummy treats can be enjoyed while still protecting one's teeth. Chocolate without any sticky fillings will generally cause far less damage to the teeth than the fruity, gooey candies.

Of course, the best defense against Halloween candies is a regular regimen of brushing and flossing after meals, and regular check-ups from a renowned dentist in Van Nuys at Hamlin Dental Group. This Halloween, enjoy dentistry that is far from scary at Hamlin!

A Time and Place for Everything

Goodness knows, we all lead busy lives. And, yes, even at Hamlin Dental Group we have to admit that there are days when two full minutes brushing in the morning and an additional two full minutes brushing in the evening seems like kind of a lot. Still, we were taken a bit aback by the news story about the English truck driver...excuse us, lorry driver...who was caught brushing on the go while driving his vehicle. This is taking time efficiency a step too far.

Of course, as the place for a dentist in Northridge, North Hollywood, or Van Nuys, we're not exactly experts on the dental hygiene habits of our friends across the pond. We know that the jokes about English teeth are a bit exaggerated and, whatever else is true of our truck driving mate, at least he was taking a moment to care for his teeth.

On the other hand, while the point of a view of a dentist in North Hollywood or elsewhere might be substantially different than a driving instructor out here, it doesn't take an expert on highway safety to realize that an accident can be bad for a person's entire body -- not only their teeth. In other words, please, please, please brush your teeth...but not when you're putting your own or someone else's life in immediate risk! You'd think people would get that instinctively, but maybe not.

If you have any less obvious obvious questions about dental hygiene, Hamlin Dental Group would love to hear from you. Call us at 888-400-8011 and book an appointment, or visit us online at www.hamlindentalgroup.com today.

Flossing: "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That" ?

Every time you go to the dentist, what's one question you're likely to hear? 

...If you answered "do you floss regularly?" - then you're right! 

While many people seem to think that flossing is optional, at Hamlin Dental Group we consider it an integral part of personal hygiene. After all, The American Dental Association recommends you should floss twice a day, but most people don't floss at all. Others may be sneaky and only floss when they know they have a dental appointment coming up, as it can take time for the gums to get used to flossing so they don't bleed or swell, and they don't want the dentist to notice. 

Remember that while a toothbrush is designed to clean the surfaces of your teeth, only floss and interdental cleaners can get to the ever-so critical areas in between your teeth, where a brush cannot reach. Flossing is important not just to maintain your pearly whites and have good hygiene, but to ward off periodontal diseases, which includes diseases of the teeth, gums and mouth. Remember, the teeth are one of the few areas of the body which cannot regenerate once damaged, so it is important to maintain proper dental hygiene to keep your mouth healthy. So the next time you come to your dentist in North Hollywood or a dentist in Van Nuys, be sure to tell them that you floss, and make sure you're actually telling the truth!