Erin M. Prach, DDS Blog

Quality rest is crucial to not only your day-to-day function, but also your mental and physical health. Without it, your body and brain won’t have a chance to recover from a long day of work, leading to a chain reaction of symptoms that can lead to a higher risk of developing medical conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, depression, and more. March 12th through 18th is National Sleep Awareness Week, which means there’s no better time to reflect on your quality of rest and how it may be impacting your life.

Nobody wants to walk around with bad breath, and that includes denture patients. However, patients with prosthetics are also much more likely to have bad breath, as dentures can start to smell if they’re cared for improperly.

If you’ve noticed that your dentures have a little bit of an odor to them, here are a few things you can do to address that issue.

Many people become overwhelmed, frustrated, and stressed whenever it comes time to navigate their dental insurance and figure out what’s covered and what isn’t. Fortunately, with a good dental team by your side who knows what they’re doing, much of this worry can be taken off of your plate. This is especially important if you’re visiting them for a dental emergency, like a knocked-out tooth or painful toothache, and you require urgent treatment. Read on to learn three considerations when determining whether your plan will pay for your visit.

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but a spoonful of cranberry sauce can really add a zesty kick to holiday turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, and more. There are also dried cranberries, cranberry juice, and more ways to consume this distinctive berry. Some people certainly enjoy the taste of cranberries. But do they benefit your oral health? Keep reading to find out what your dentist in Casper has to say about them.

Society views people with attractive smiles with youth, confidence, and success; however, not everyone has dazzling white teeth. Various factors contribute to their color, like your oral hygiene habits and the foods and drinks you consume. Smoking and drinking a lot of coffee aren’t the only things that influence their color. Genetics also plays a role. If a parent has darker teeth naturally, you’re more likely to have them as well. Not to mention, other hereditary factors can affect your pearly whites. Although you can’t change your DNA, you have several solutions to maintain a bright smile.

(more…)

When you have a tooth removed, your body forms a blood clot over the empty socket as part of its natural healing process. Although this clot should stay in place, there is always a slight risk that the clot could become dislodged. When this happens, you experience a painful complication called “dry socket,” which requires immediate attention from your dentist. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid this situation. If you’re about to have a tooth extracted, use these tips.

Are you in need of a tooth extraction? This probably isn’t something that you’ve been looking forward to, but sometimes extractions are necessary to preserve the health of the rest of your smile. There is a ton of misinformation out there regarding tooth extractions, and it can be difficult to know what to ignore. Continue reading to learn about some of the most common myths out there and why they aren’t true.

With the rise of the Internet, more people are now aware of what cosmetic dentistry can do. From bleaching teeth whiter to repairing chips and cracks, its treatments can make smiles look beautiful in no time! Still, the field hasn’t always been this way. Many have tried giving themselves prettier smiles for thousands of years, but earlier efforts weren’t as practical. For those interested, read on to learn how cosmetic dentistry evolved from primitive beginnings to its current form.

If you haven’t already, there’s a good chance you’ll be going on a summer vacation soon. What with the recent heat, now is the perfect time for fun in the sun! However, you may want to deal with your yellow teeth first. You wouldn’t want your trip photos to feature a discolored smile — that would make for unpleasant memories! Still, successful treatment depends on knowing the reason for your issue. Luckily, your Casper dentist can help you with that. Learn these causes and solutions to yellow teeth so your summer grin will shine bright!

When it comes to root canals, pain is a common sign that you might need to get one. This discomfort is often caused by a severe tooth infection. During the procedure, your dentist will remove the nerves and damaged tissue of the tooth to keep the infection from spreading and stop the pain and discomfort. But what if you aren’t in pain? Do you still need to have the tooth treated? Read on to learn whether or not people who aren’t in pain can still receive root canal therapy.