Some Quick National Children's Dental Health Month Activities

As National Children's Dental Health Month is wrapping up, we here at Hamlin Dental Group want to share some fun activities for teaching good dental hygiene to kids that we've found around the web. After all, we've dedicated portions of our careers to investing in engaging ways to instruct children of all ages about their teeth. Hamlin Dental Group recommends regular visits to our office to guarantee whole mouth health and to catch issues before they get worse. We have locations for a dentist in Northridge, Van Nuys, and North Hollywood, so feel free to visit the office closest to you.

Until your visit to a Hamlin dentist in Van Nuys, Northridge, or North Hollywood, here are a few ideas to inspire good dental habits at home (or perhaps suggest to your child's teacher):

• Soak hard boiled eggs in soda for a day and then brush them. This shows how bad cola can be for your teeth and it's fun to see them get white again. This can also be done with other drinks for comparison (we've seen Kool-Aid and lemonade as two other examples).
• Create a "dental describing toothbrush". It's made out of paper and the child writes how their teeth feel after brushing. Think of it as positive reinforcement!
• Floss out Play-Doh from the spaces in Mega Blocks using yarn. Most people already have these things around the house and it's a great way to practice the essentials of flossing.
• Make your own activity! The bottom of a soda bottle can be painted white to look like a tooth and you can make a mouth using egg carton teeth or marshmallows on construction paper. One particular favorite is using dry beans and pink Play-Doh.
• Twice daily brushing chart to hang in the bathroom. This seems to be very popular. Any type of visual reminder that works is great!

For fuller instructions, most of these can be searched on Google! Call Hamlin Dental Group for more information on our services at 888-400-8011.

Join Hamlin Dental Group in the Fight Against Gum Disease

February is not only Children’s Dental Awareness Month; it is also Gum Disease Awareness Month. It might seem like a strange theme for an entire month, but designating  February Gum Disease Awareness Month might seem more practical in light of the fact that gum disease, also known as periodontitis, is the most common disease in the U.S. The disease affects 85% of Americans on some level. Why, you might ask? It boils down to poor dental hygiene, lack of visits to the dentist, and, the fact that there are really no warning signs of early-stage periodontitis. Gum disease is also proven to be linked to the most serious physical conditions, like heart attack, stroke, and cancer.

We are not sharing this information to alarm our patients, but to remind them that it is so important to keep annual appointments with your Hamlin dentist in Van Nuys, Northridge, or North Hollywood. In the case that a patient is already suffering from gum disease, Hamlin Dental Group offers exceptional periodontic services to the client. Treatments for early-stage gum disease are available. In some cases, more serious measures are taken, with the Hamlin periodontist grafting replacement tissue from the roof of the mouth to the gums. 

Our patients can be sure that the Hamlin dentist in Northridge, Van Nuys, or North Hollywood will make the proper recommendations to treat existing gum disease. In the interest of preventing gum disease, schedule a dental exam with your local Hamlin office this month.

National Children's Dental Health Month

February is National Children's Dental Health Month.  As family oriented dentists, Hamlin Dental Group is, of course, dedicated to promoting good oral health and hygiene for the whole family, and children obviously hold a very special place.

At the same time, we all know that when a child goes to visit a dentist in Van Nuys or anywhere else, there can be some very special challenges. The key, we've learned, is to get on off the right foot with the child. That's why we emphasize an approach the emphasizes kindness and empathy with children and, of course, doing our very best to keep them as comfortable as possible.

If we can get little ones to feel like their Hamlin dentist in Northridge or at our other sites throughout the San Fernando Valley is a friend, and not someone to avoid, we can go a long way toward setting them on the good habits that will help preserve their teeth throughout childhood and on into adulthood. That why we make sure all of our superb, highly empathetic dentists know how to work with kids of all ages. After all, the issues that might concern a 7 year-old and a 14 year-old are pretty different, and it's important for dentists to understand that.

Truly, taking care of kids' teeth is one of the very highest priorities at Hamlin Dental Group. If we can give kids the right start in life with the dental health, the chances of them of having a healthy mouth -- and good overall health -- their entire life improves exponentially. 

Protect the Tot's Teeth at Hamlin Dental Group

Serious dental issues such as inflamed gums and tooth decay are usually considered adult problems. But, many new parents do not realize that proper oral health really begins in the infant's first months. As this is the case, Hamlin Dental Group would like to provide patients with some helpful information related to baby’s oral hygiene, especially since the baby depends on you to safeguard his or her teeth.

In the first year of a child’s life, the baby can suffer from what is commonly known as “baby bottle tooth decay” – that is, the rotting of the teeth which results from repeated exposure to sugary substances. When this occurs, it usually affects the front teeth. To protect your baby from tooth decay, it is important to only fill the bottle with breast milk, water, or formula. Through instituting a pre-toothbrush cleansing routine, one encourages oral health in the first months of life. Take a soft washcloth and gently wipe the baby’s gums after feedings and before and after bedtime. When your son or daughter reaches one year, the child should visit the dentist for the first time, and at this point, cleaning the child’s teeth with a small amount of non-fluoride toothpaste with a small, soft toothbrush may begin.

Hamlin Dental Group in the San Fernando Valley promotes good oral hygiene for the youngest and oldest members of your family. For a trusted dentist in North Hollywood, Van Nuys, or Northridge, don’t hesitate to give us a call! 888-400-8011.

Straight Teeth Are More Important than for Aesthetic Reasons

In our looks-obsessed culture, we can sometimes place too much of an emphasis on the aesthetics of our smiles. It is true that a clean, white smile can be great for self-confidence; however, the team here at Hamlin Dental Group wants our patients to know that straight teeth and a proper bite are also important for overall dental and whole body health.

Many will come to Hamlin Dental Group to meet with a dentist in Van Nuys, concerned about the look of their crooked teeth. Crooked teeth can sometimes be unsightly, but they can also interfere with the cleanliness of the mouth. Because they make the mouth more difficult to properly clean, crowded and misaligned teeth can eventually lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and eventually tooth loss.

An improper bite also has negative repercussions. It can interfere with speech and chewing and can cause headaches as well as pain in the jaw and neck. If you're concerned about pain or oral hygiene stemming from any of these issues, please come visit a Hamlin Dental Group dentist in Northridge, Van Nuys, or North Hollywood. Our staff's goal is to offer the friendliest and gentlest service possible, including life-changing orthodontic work. Schedule a consultation today!

Dr. Wang and team at Hamlin Dental Group

Friendly Team at Woodland Dental Group Excel at Invisalign

It can be a heart-dropping moment in adolescence when a young person learns that his or her dentist is recommending braces. Just hearing that the dreaded corrective gear must be worn for a series of months is painful enough. No matter how many times Mom or Dad says “it’s for your own good,” the child is reluctant to make that seemingly fateful trip to the dentist for fear that his or her comfort level and appearance will be grossly affected. But thanks to current innovations in dentistry, the child with misaligned teeth is afforded much more comfortable (and unnoticeable) options for correcting an under-bite, overbite, or other tooth problems.

The kind dentists of Hamlin Dental Group in the San Fernando Valley offer Invisalign as a teeth-straightening solution. These invisible alignment trays are custom-made for the patient in accordance with the Hamlin orthodontist’s plan for correcting the teeth. As the months go by, the child or adult patient changes out the trays under the advisement of the dental professional. While the trays must be worn daily, they are comfortable and easily removable. And the best part of all, the trays are transparent, so the fixtures will go unnoticed as the teeth are expertly straightened.

If it’s time for your child or teenager to transform the look of their teeth, schedule a consultation at Hamlin Dental Group’s Northridge, Van Nuys, or North Hollywood location today!