Smile Bright: Unpacking Kid's Dental Health with Dr. Eric Lac

Welcome to the Dentistry for Kidz podcast. We are Angelina and Cameron and we love candy. Do you all love candy? We've learned how to enjoy all the candy we want without getting cavities or getting in trouble with our dentist wants to learn our magic. Join us discover how to enjoy sweets and have nice bright, clean, shiny white teeth. Let's go.

Buckle up because we've got a guest who's got the magic touch when it comes to sparkly chompers. It's Dr. Eric clack. This is so cool dude grew up watching waves in Long Beach before he hit the books at UCLA diving headfirst into the wild world of biology. But biology is loss was dentistry is gain and Dr. Lac found himself at Boston University's Goldman School of Dental Medicine, snagging his dental degree and 22,003 postgrads he honed his tooth teaming skills at spectrum dental and fall weather Massachusetts before hitting the jackpot and landing in Sin City with his lovely wife Catherine and their two beautiful children. Fast forward 17 years and Dr. Lac traded in the past life of running his own practice to clock in some serious family time. But don't worry, he's still fighting cavities and floss dance at Smile City Dental alongside his brother in arms. Dr. Aaron lac. Welcome today.

Dr. Eric Lac: Thanks. Glad to be here.

Yep. So the first question today is what inspired you to pursue a career in dentistry?

Dr. Eric Lac: I actually just fell into dentistry i i wanted to be a doctor. I didn't know what you know, growing up in Long Beach. We really didn't know what was going on. We just did school. Then I got into UCLA. We did research at the dental school, then it all just worked out perfectly. Perfect.

And can you share a memorable experience from your time at dental school?

Dr. Eric Lac: Wow. There's so many to talk about in school right now out of school, whatever

memory you would like to share.

Dr. Eric Lac: I remember a clinic being really, really challenging in Boston, because one that's really, really cold. And they have clinic all day. So I remember days where I'm there at eight o'clock, finisher, finish all your clinic get out. And it'd be like midnight, and we're still in simulators just trying to catch up or wax up on on a model for a denture and it wasn't. school wasn't easy. So I always remember like coming back fatigue all the time.

And what is it like working with your brother, Dr. Aaron, like at smile, City Dental?

Dr. Eric Lac: Are they it's pretty awesome. You know, I mean, we started school together in the same class. Now I'm working with them. I've been working by myself for better part of 1617 years. Now being in a group practice again, you actually have somebody to talk to you is not just do work, go back to your room and just check on charts. Now. We can talk about our kids. We can talk about dentistry, there's a case that we see we have different perspectives, we do different things. So I think it's a really good thing. I mean, I'm still growing as a dentist because there's things that he's done, I haven't done or things that he see I haven't saw. So I thought that was really cool.

Super cool. So what are some common dental problems that you see in kids?

Dr. Eric Lac: In kids? It's really just effort. I mean, every kid that I see, they're doing a great job, they already know they're doing good. But the problem kids, it's all effort. They don't think they need to They're young, they're invisible. 30 seconds is brushing to them, and they may or may not get all the spots. So I think it's just effort.

Do you think parents can help their children develop any good dental habits?

Dr. Eric Lac: Parents are pretty lazy nowadays, you know, they just be honest. So when I see when I see a teenager, I don't I don't really get on little kids Baiga on teenagers a lot. But if you're 13 twel me you should know how to brush your teeth you should know what's going on and how important it is. So I really get on them and how to do it. I teach them how to brush and I told the parents it's your job so I make them text or their parents. Their two minutes to unhappiness of brushing. Me and I did that for my kids when they were slacking off. And you know what? They do? Find out Oh, no issues. So it's just good habit.

What do you believe the best age to start taking a child to the dentist is

Dr. Eric Lac: I think it depends on each kid. I don't I think if your kid is calm, and they're not in that stranger danger phase He's, that's great in a way that I've seen, I've seen two year olds that are great that I've cleaned their teeth, I checked on them. And I've seen seven year olds that won't even open their mouths and crying before they even get into a chair. So as more as more mentality than it is age, that's why I think,

what are some important things people should know about taking care of the teeth?

Dr. Eric Lac: Important things? I think we only have, you know, maybe once you get your adult teeth, you only have one set. And it doesn't take very much to screw it up. So for example, let's say braces, right? You want a beautiful smile, your parents are spending tons of money, getting braces, and you're thinking, Oh, everything's gonna be straight. Everything's fine. Perfect. I don't really need a brush. Everything's gonna look beautiful when it's done. You know what, I hear a lot of kids that come back for braces, and I don't see him for a year or two. You know what happens? There's like a word, that bracket that they glue on, they'll get a career that bracket stain all around every tooth. I've seen that multiple times. And they're looking at it like what happened like you didn't brush her teeth, it permanently stains, or I guess decalcifying those areas? Beautiful straight teeth, right? But ugly staining or hammies. Everywhere.

And how do diet and nutrition affect a child's mental health?

Dr. Eric Lac: Diet is very important. What do you think we mean? ADA says that it hit a cavity is based on bacteria, and sugar driven diet. So if your diet is not clean, and you just drinking soda all day, eating candy all day, then you're gonna give a lot of food or bacteria or some bacteria has a great environment to D memorize your teeth and you don't get cavities everywhere. When you have any diet. It takes discipline for a good guy, believe it or not, you man. I'm middle aged. Now. My body is not great anymore. I'm trying to diet myself. And it's hard. So diet is is discipline. So brushing your teeth, taking care of yourself is discipline. The earlier you learn how to do it, the better is for you easier it is for you as an adult. I never did it as a child. So I'm trying to catch up now it's hard.

Oh, do you have any recommendations for like tooth safe snacks or diets?

Dr. Eric Lac: To safe snacks? I'm a big fan of chocolate. Because every kid needs candy. Right? I love chocolate. Because if you get dark chocolate, you know 70% or more. That's great. But not every kid likes that. You know I understand slightly bitter, slightly sweet. But chocolate I liked a lot because you get your sugar fix. You get some important nutrients and antioxidants, all these great things in chocolate. Right? But then 1015 seconds it's gone out of your mouth. Really easy. So one good snack,

I think. What's your favorite kind of chocolate?

Dr. Eric Lac: I love chocolate pure. I think chocolate is good. I think that over anything?

And what are some signs that someone might need braces?

Dr. Eric Lac: Well, it varies from patient to patient, you know, I mean, anybody could get braces. You mean these braces is the equalizer for for your smile. Not everybody is born with great teeth. Teeth are perfectly straight or you know, I mean, everybody has some defects. So everybody is having that braces. But what we worry about is a functional bind for braces. If your teeth don't come together or teeth I hits first. You mean bite issues are the big thing for me. I mean my one of the patients I had one side of his teeth don't even touch at all and you look at him he's he looks malnourished, he's not eating properly. You know so I made it aware of really early and they're getting treatment sooner you get it get that taken care of the better it is for you.

How do you believe dental health impacts overall health for kids and teens?

Dr. Eric Lac: Well, dental health it's so important because your mouth is a gateway to your body. Believe it or not. There's only so many ways that things into your body, you're not going to have cut anywhere but you put your fingers in your mouth or eating bad things. So like gingivitis, a large population has gingivitis or have gum disease periodontitis. The thing is if you don't take care of your mouth, there's bacteria that's living in your mouth all the time. And if you get those gums to swell, then it's easier to bleed and those bacterias enter your bloodstream. And those bacterias can stick into the walls of your arteries and your blood vessels and cause major damage. I mean increased rate heart attacks, increased rate of stroke, all these bad things. You know, I can go on and on about how How important is your mouth is?

What's your opinion on fluoride and dental health?

Dr. Eric Lac: No. It's a love hate relationship with fluoride. I love fluoride. I believe in fluoride and I hate the conversations that I have to have with patients that don't believe in fluoride is all the patients that well, not all. A lot of the patients that come in that are I guess it. Their whole family has tons of cavities. Is it a coincidence? Probably not. When I see it. Time and time again. Laura, it makes your teeth hard. It's important. Yeah, I mean, not everybody is blessed. What's really hard enamel. You mean? So it does help us?

What's your favorite toothpaste or toothpaste flavor?

Dr. Eric Lac: I liked the mint, the minty or the better. And the bubbly or the better. My favorite toothpaste right now is Chris gum detox. They, they put they put in at different fluoride from what we're used to. And they doubled the concentration now. Now the toothpaste will help your gums kill bacteria all at the same time. It's awesome.

What's your opinion on like charcoal toothpaste or whitening strips, because a lot of teenagers these days are trying to get into that?

Dr. Eric Lac: Well, whitening is a good thing if you want it. If you use a responsibility responsibly, it's fine. I mean, everybody wants to look a little bit better. And I mean, I like the fact that you pride yourself in your looks to so that's that's our problem. The thing is, when you go too far with it, you mean so they're leech addicts and everything else. So you have to use those products in moderation. The other thing is charcoal, charcoal is a new, a new hot topic for dentistry, the ADEA doesn't really say much because there's no real data on it. Charcoal, what it does is it neutralizes a lot of things, it binds a lot of things. But the problem is it binds and get rid of a lot of things indiscriminately. So the good bacteria it's gonna bind and get rid of, they even said medication, they'll bind with your medication make it less effective. So to me, they're better ways to whiten your teeth rather than charcoal. I mean, that's, that's why.

And for the last question today, what are the most rewarding aspects of working with kids and parents and your dental practice?

Dr. Eric Lac: Working cool. Look, kids is awesome. I love it. Especially when you do something unexpected. You know, I mean, so I have a lot of patients come in for the first time they're, they're a little scared, a little nervous and all sudden, you got to caveats. Like oh, that's doomsday for them. You know, I mean, they come in regularly, we check every six months when they come in. And when we get them early to get a cavity very, very early. A lot of times I can go in there, clean up the cavity, no injections, no anesthetic, two, three minutes, we're done. And they're happy. As crazy when you see that look in their eyes and they're happy and they come hug you. Or they that's the best feeling.

And so, do you think there's anything else parents or children should know?

Dr. Eric Lac: And they in life, everything starts with a plan. And trying to go with the best plan possible. Let's say you want to be a doctor. That's how that's I think that's how that happened. For me, I want to be I want to be a plastic surgeon, rather than being a dentist's, you know, how hard is it being a plastic surgeon? I'm so happy. I'm a Dennis Neff. Oh, think about all the school that didn't have to go through and all the all the money that didn't have to pay for but if I set my sights a little bit lower than that, I mean, I get why I want that probably fall down even further and I'll be a dentist. So try to aspire as as high as you can try to reach for the highest goal. That's why

that was so inspirational. Thank you so much for joining me today. Great. Thank you.

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