Do 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
Spitting 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
Fluoride 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
The 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
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…)
Sheridan Dentist Goes Deeper with Dental Cleanings
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…)
Sheridan Dentist Talks about Teeth Grinding in Children
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…)
Sheridan Dentist Discusses Dental Care of Pilgrims
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…)
Sheridan Dentist Deals with Bad Breath
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.
Sheridan Dentist on Being Proactive in Fighting Oral HPV
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…)
