Avoid the Pitfalls of Life without Teeth

Happy Older CoupleHuman nature is sometimes puzzling. People can be so self-centered. On the other hand, so many of us put others before ourselves. When it comes to tooth loss or other dental issues that affect appearance, Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, often has patients living with their embarrassment so that others in their family will have their various needs met first. Unfortunately, the potential depression and self-esteem issues that can come along with missing teeth might be lowering (more…)

Need a Dental Crown but don’t want to Wait? Try CEREC

Thumbs UPMany circumstances can lead to the need for a dental crown. When damage occurs as a result of injury or severe decay, a crown might be the best and strongest way to restore form and function to your tooth. Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, has provided crowns to a great many patients over the years. He has taken the service a step further by offering fast dental crowns that can amazingly be done in one single office visit.

What are Dental Crowns?

Tooth decay is an infection, and needs to be treated as such. This is why we encourage patients to visit us every six months without fail. At biannual checkups, we can procure x-rays and implement thorough examinations to catch cavities at the earliest stages, when only a small filling will suffice. However, there are times when (for whatever reason) a dental crown is necessary to properly repair a damaged tooth. Many patients panic when they hear this recommendation, as they fear a battery of uncomfortable dental visits including a period of time wearing an ill-fitting temporary crown. Well, worry no further; CEREC is here.

Crowns in a Couple of Hours

Single-visit crowns are now available through the innovation of CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics). A dental crown is basically a cap designed to fit snugly and completely over the visible portion of a damaged tooth. Dental crowns reinforce and protect the remaining tooth structure in order to prevent further infection and damage. CEREC crowns are custom-made just as traditional dental crowns. The difference is that they do not have to be sent off to a lab. A special machine uses 3D imaging software to create your customized CEREC crown. CEREC is part design system, part milling machine, complete with special dental porcelain that can even be color-matched just for you. For durable crowns without the weight, CEREC is a wave of the future that is already here.

Schedule a Visit with Your Sheridan WY Cosmetic Dentist

A CEREC crown can help return your tooth to full function and appearance. For more information on our natural looking crowns, talk to your Sheridan WY cosmetic dentist, Dr. Coon, today. You can reach us by calling Grinnell Street Dental at (307) 672-7567. Located in the 82801 area, we welcome patients from Sheridan, WY, and all surrounding communities.

Avoiding Pitfalls that Can Damage your Smile

Pain in JawDo you believe that sugar causes cavities? This is a common misconception. Yes, sucrose is a contributing element in the reaction that takes place inside your mouth when tooth decay is created. However, by itself, it’s like having wood in your fireplace, but no match. Oral bacteria called Streptococcus mutans live inside your mouth and feed on sugar and refined carbohydrates. This fuel allows them to produce lactic acid. Sheridan, WY family dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, does not want you to eat tons of sugar and neglect your teeth, but there are certain dental myths to be aware of. (more…)

The Importance of Saliva Production in your Mouth

Happy GuySpitting is considered to be a fairly disgusting habit, but it’s also second nature. While you may not want to see someone spitting out in public, don’t forget that you spit every single day – when you brush your teeth. When you go in for your biannual dental checkup, you are usually asked to spit by your dental hygienist at various points during your cleaning. When you do spit, it’s usually a mixture of whatever you have in your mouth and saliva. Your saliva moistens dry food that you consume, and keeps your mouth and throat comfortably moistened. Saliva even protects you from tooth decay and bad breath issues, which can also be helped by Sheridan family dentist, Dr. Donald Coon. (more…)

Fluoride Facts for Parents and Children

Fluoride is a well-known as a preventive tool in dental hygiene. Infused into daily-use products like toothpaste and mouthwash, fluoride strengthens teeth and protects against cavities. Sheridan family dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, can offer you valuable information about the compound that helps keep you and your family’s teeth healthy: fluoride.

All About Fluoride

Smiling FamilyFluoride is a naturally occurring element found in water and air. Water fluoridation has become one of the most common ways to keep fluoride in regular contact with our teeth. Community water fluoridation is practiced all over the world. Many neighborhoods have had access to fluoridated water sources since the practice became popularized in the 1940s.

Giving Kids a Dental Leg Up

Primary teeth (baby teeth) might fall out naturally, but they shouldn’t be considered disposable. Whether teeth are still in the primary stage or your child has already grown in some of their permanent teeth, if they don’t brush and floss regularly, tooth decay is likely. Years could pass before a decaying baby tooth falls out on its own. Infection can spread in the meantime, or your little one could end up in increasing discomfort. Fillings or other more invasive procedures like crowns, root canals, or extractions might end up being necessary. This can set a child up for a lifetime of unnecessary dental anxiety. Fluoride treatments at preventive dental checkups will help keep your child’s teeth much stronger and healthier.

What About Fluorosis?

When it comes to a compound such as fluoride, a balance needs to be struck. Otherwise, a condition called fluorosis can occur in kids under the age of six. Children should never be exposed to an over-abundance of fluoride. Fluorosis presents as a discoloration of the tooth enamel in newly erupting teeth. A great deal of fluoride will have to be ingested for this to occur. To err on the side of caution, toothpaste, mouthwash, or other fluoridated products should be kept well out of reach of children. Supervising your child when they brush their teeth, and making sure they spit well, can also help prevent fluorosis.

Visit your Sheridan Family Dentist

Are you overdue for a dental checkup? To schedule a cleaning or to learn more about protecting your oral health, schedule a consultation at Grinnell Street Dental by contacting our 82801 dentist office at (307) 672-7567. We welcome patients from Sheridan, WY and the surrounding communities.

Sheridan Family Dentist Describes Details of Dental Plaque

Family PhotoThe dental needs of adults and children may have some differences, but there is one thing bound to be in common with patients of all ages: plaque. When you go in for your dental checkups, plaque (and the hardened version which is known as tartar, or calculus) will be scraped from your teeth. Leave it to fester, and you are likely to have some dental issues as a result – namely tooth decay and gum disease. Sheridan family dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, is determined to keep you and your family as plaque free as possible. (more…)

Sheridan Dentist Discusses Safety of Fillings

Smiling couple fallSilver amalgam fillings have been adhered to cavities in people’s teeth for over 150 years. Many dentists and patients have moved on to tooth-colored materials for aesthetic reasons, and concerns of an impact on environment and health from amalgam’s chief ingredient of mercury. There are still hundreds of millions of people with amalgam fillings, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, will expand more upon on the controversy surrounding dental fillings.

Mercury Concerns from Long Ago

Amalgam fillings were invented in the 1830s, by a pair of French brothers. In just a decade, their (more…)

Sheridan Dentist Goes Deeper with Dental Cleanings

Smile Green EyesMost people are great about their daily hygiene. You are likely to take a daily shower or bath, wash your face before bed, brush or comb your hair. Many people don’t brush and floss the recommended twice-a-day, but their dental hygiene is still certainly a part of daily life. Regular dental cleanings are an essential part of preventive dental care that can be neglected, unfortunately. Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, would like to reiterate the importance of giving your dental hygienist an opportunity to go deeper with your oral hygiene.

It Takes a Village

Your routine dental checkup and cleaning will include several facets, including a thorough examination by Dr. Coon for tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer. Your dental hygienist will (more…)

Sheridan Dentist Talks about Teeth Grinding in Children

Smiling Father and KidsStress is something that we try to believe only afflicts us as we reach adulthood. Why should children be worried? Life is handed to them, right? In an idealistic world, children would be carefree, skipping, jumping, running, and playing their free time away. Unfortunately, school, social, and familial demands along with poor nutrition have made life increasingly imbalanced and stressful for our youngest members of society. It’s no wonder, then, that teeth grinding (bruxism) has become a plight that effects people younger and younger in this day and age. Your Sheridan dentist, Dr. Coon, will explain teeth grinding and treatment possibilities involving children.

Kids Feel the Grind of Stress

The prime ages of childhood teeth grinding, you may be surprised to know, would be between the (more…)

Sheridan Dentist Discusses Dental Care of Pilgrims

Pilgrim SittingThanksgiving is a great time of year for families to gather together and appreciate the history of their lineage. With the use of family trees and new DNA analysis, any one of us can find out how far back our family goes. You might actually be related to one of the pilgrims that feasted on the very first Thanksgiving holiday. How do you think those ancestors might have cared for their dental health? Your Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, will describe how pilgrims did their best to maintain oral hygiene.

Ancestral Dental Care

We are lucky to have many options for dental care in our modern times. In most towns, there are many dentists to choose from within a reasonable driving distance from your work or home. You also probably have easy access to a wide variety of oral hygiene products at various stores in your (more…)