Silver 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…)
Most 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…)
Stress 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…)
Thanksgiving 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…)
Bad breath can put a crimp in your love-life, your social life, and even make your co-workers avoid sitting close to you. This is no way to live. Halitosis can give the wrong impression that you don’t take care of yourself. It can be extremely frustrating when you’re popping gum and mints at every turn, and yet people still cringe when you lean in for a conspiratorial conversation. For some people, bad breath is not a simple matter of good oral hygiene. If halitosis is a consistent problem for you, your Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, might have some solutions.
Is Your Mouth Too Dry?
Dry mouth is an oral health issue that is more prevalent with the elderly. However, certain medical conditions and/or prescription medications can make this a struggle for people of any age. Each prescription you take has varying side effects. Many medications can lead to insufficient saliva production. Saliva serves the imperative function of keeping your mouth hydrated, as well as rinsing away food particles throughout the day and night. Ample saliva makes it much more difficult for bacteria to produce plaque because there is less acid and food debris to work with. Healthy salivary glands will keep your mouth pH balanced so that you can maintain breath that is not offensive.
Preventive Efforts for Good Breath
If saliva production is your quandary, the solution may be as simple as switching medications or drinking more water. There are also various mouthrinses and dietary changes that might help ramp up production. Beyond that, your bad breath could be a simple case of bacteria congregating on your tongue. Consider adding a tongue scraper to your regular oral hygiene routine. You may also be able to gain headway in battling bad breath by simply brushing your tongue along with your teeth. Occasionally, the foul odor of halitosis can be a result of cavities, gum disease, and periodontitis (advanced gum disease). A thorough dental checkup with Dr. Coon can uncover the issues that might be causing your bad breath.
Dental Checkups from your Sheridan Dentist
Are you due for a dental checkup with your Sheridan dentist? To schedule a consultation contact our 82801 dentist office at (307) 672-7567. We welcome patients from Sheridan, WY and the surrounding communities.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common disease that you may have heard of. If you have been diagnosed with HPV, you are among at least 20 million other Americans. Every year, another 6 million new cases are discovered. Women are generally tested for the HPV virus during their annual well-woman exams/pap smears. Unfortunately, the very same virus that can be discovered by your ob/gyn can also occur in the mouth. Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, will explain the details of how Oral DNA testing makes a great detector for both HPV and periodontal disease. (more…)
You’ve probably heard someone say, “I’d rather get a root canal than have the flu,” or some such similar comparison. Root canals have somehow ended up with the reputation of being as unpleasant as it gets in the world of dental procedures. Most patients who end up needing a root canal procedure may panic, given this line of thinking. That’s why root canal patients are usually pleasantly s surprised that the level of discomfort involved with this restorative repair is pretty similar to getting a regular filling. Your Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, will explain the basics of removing infection and repairing damage at the roots of your teeth. (more…)
You are probably aware that you should brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, and visit your dentist twice a year for regular check-ups, but how much do you really know about dentistry? Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, is excited to help you brush up on some basic dental facts. (more…)
Personal politics aside, you’ve probably been attuned to more government matters than usual over the last week or so. Part of a politician’s business is emitting a certain degree of friendliness and kindness. Nothing can portray a sense of being relatable more than a warm smile. Yet public figures are often coached on how to create smiles out of thin air, even if they aren’t feeling particularly happy during a speech or on the campaign trail. Your Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, would like to share some interesting facts about smiles in our government throughout U.S. history.
Smile Preferences
People with a nice, confident smile are thought to receive more frequent promotions and receive higher salaries in the work place. It is no wonder that smiles are an essential element in a (more…)
Sticky and dry might be an appropriate state of being for a post-it note, but this is not a feeling you’d want in your mouth. If you have dry mouth, you may find yourself parched with thirst and battling sticky saliva that is a purely unpleasant viscosity. Dry mouth also often goes hand-in-hand with bad breath. Do you feel like your mouth is not the moist and pleasant environment it should be? Perhaps something is wrong. Your Sheridan dentist, Dr. Donald Coon, would like to tell you more about dry mouth, and how to deal with it. (more…)
Silver 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.
