Thank you for visiting the website of Erin M. Prach DDS. Our Casper practice is devoted to giving patients the attentive, personalized care they need to enjoy truly exceptional oral health. With our staff's combined expertise and our wide range of services, we're confident you'll receive the help you need every time you visit us.
Every day we hold tight to the belief that every patient is differentand every smile is special. That philosophy informs our interactions with new and returning patients alike. You'll never be treated like a number when you come to see Dr. Prach. If we recommend advanced care for any condition, we tailor treatments to your specific needs. If you have questions about what we recommend, we are happy to address them. We want you to feel 100 percent confident about the plan we recommend for you.
The answer to that is simple: to enjoy optimal oral health, you should see a dentist about every six months. That might sound like a lot, but when you consider how quickly bacteria and plaque accumulate, it's not.
Many problems begin so subtly that, unless you're trained to spot them, they go unnoticed for longer than they should. But with frequent visits to our Casper office, we can help you identify these small changes early and create a plan to help you treat them.
Dr. Prach opened her practice in September 2015. Prior to this, she studied at both Eastern Washington University and the University of Colorados School of Dental Medicine. In the years since, she has continued to further her education. As part of that, she studied oral surgery while on a mission trip to Guatemala. Dr. Prach loves using her skills and expertise to help patients regain confidence in their oral health.
Heather has been in the dental field for over two decades now, working as both an assistant and a hygienist. She earned her Associates of Science in Dental Hygiene from Sheridan College, followed by her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Wyoming. She is also trained in nitrous oxide, soft tissue lasers, and local anesthetic. At home, she and her husband Shane have two sons named CJ and Hank. Her hobbies include riding horses, going on long weekend camping trips, and spending quality time at her familys homestead cabin. Shes also addicted to chocolate!
Kayla loves to stay busy here in our office. She earned dental X-ray certification and is excited that she gets to meet and get to know new people at our practice. Coming from Prineville, OR, she is the first of her immediate familyher parents and one sisterto move this far east. Outside of work, you can find Kayla baking, crocheting, reading, camping, fishing, hunting, or shooting. In fact, when she was just 14, she set an Oregon state record for the bull elk she killed with her bow.
Brooklynn was born and raised right here in Casper! She has earned an associate degree in biology and her bachelors degree in May of 2021. Since joining our team, she has thoroughly enjoyed changing each patients perception about what its like to go to the dentist. Outside of dentistry, her interests include camping, hiking, and studying. She also has a part-time job as a DSP, where she works with adults with developmental disabilities and brain injuries.
McKenna is a Wyoming native. She graduated from Roosevelt High School and just started her first year of college. Since joining our team in 2021, she has thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet all of our patients. Away from the office, she loves spending time with her boyfriend and their two dogs, Mia and Luna. She also has lots of interests outside of dentistry, including camping, fishing, doing arts and crafts, and mudding in her Jeep. Heres an interesting fact about her: her #1 bucket list goal is to go swimming with turtles in Australia!
Stacy may be one of the newest members of our team, but she has more than 25 years of experience in the dental field! She has earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene and has since undergone additional training in local anesthesia and diode lasers. All these years later, her favorite part of her job continues to be helping patients work through their dental anxiety and promoting healthy smiles and habits. In her free time, youll most likely find her spending time with her daughter, Taylor, and her forever fianc, J.R. Howe. Heres something you may not know about her: shes addicted to coffee and loves listening to Prince.
Many parents enjoy seeing their children sleep, but what they may not realize is that many children experience Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB). This condition interferes with a childs ability to breathe properly during the night, preventing them from having quality rest and encouraging unhealthy development. As a result, they can struggle with serious health and behavioral issues or need advanced orthodontic treatment down the road. At Dr. Erin Prachs practice, we can provide simple treatment through the HealthyStart system for children with SDB or misaligned teeth.
HealthyStart is a system of oral appliances that influences the growth and development of a childs jaw and teeth. These comfortable, custom appliances treat the root causes of SDB, thus alleviating the associated symptoms, by repositioning the tongue, teeth and jaw in ideal alignment for the airways to remain open and clear for easier breathing. In addition, the HealthyStart device can make necessary orthodontic adjustments early on, reducing or even eliminating the need for braces in the future. Basically, these appliances can ensure that your child develops in a healthy way from the beginning.
Without intervention, the symptoms caused by SDB can continue well into adulthood and have lasting effects on a persons health. For example, sleep apnea (which is a common sleep disorder) in adults has been shown to lead to high blood pressure, a long-established cause of heart disease. In addition, corrective procedures such as expanding the palate, are much easier and less invasive when performed at a young age. Through HealthyStart treatment, Dr. Prach can give your child more opportunity to thrive in all areas of their life.
If you and Dr. Prach determine that HealthyStart is the right treatment for your child, we will take impressions of their mouth and create a customized treatment plan. Then, your child will wear the oral appliance when they sleep. The appliance will open up their airway, allowing them to sleep more peacefully and wake up feeling rested.
As your child develops over time, their teeth and jaw will be guided into healthier alignment with this oral appliance. The HealthyStart process is truly that simple, straightforward, and effective and is much less invasive than many other treatments later in life.
HealthyStart can address and correct many problems beyond oral development, helping a child have the best chances of success in learning and social environments. Overall, HealthyStart treatment can give a child a higher quality of life, perhaps even eliminating the need for medication that would traditionally be used to treat behavioral or emotional issues.
Not only does HealthyStart address the root causes of Sleep Disordered Breathing, it simultaneously straightens your childs teeth without braces. Best of all, when treatment begins early, the perfect smiles that the HealthyStart system creates are less likely to relapse.
As your child prepares to undergo HealthyStart in Casper, you may have many questions about the process and what to expect. Dr. Erin Prach and her team not only understand your concerns, but we want you to know that we always have your childs best interest in mind. In an effort to provide transparency about this program and its ability to help your child sleep better, we have provided the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. Once you have finished reviewing the following information, please dont hesitate to contact us with additional questions.
Using a minimal amount of toothpaste, it is advised that you brush the appliance after your child removes it in the morning. Once it is thoroughly cleaned, rinse it off and shake it to remove any excess water. Afterward, allow it to sit out in the open to dry. After ample time has passed (20-30 minutes), you are free to close it up in its protective case to prevent possible damage.
Even if your little one had no issues with their baby teeth, it is possible for their permanent teeth to erupt and come in with inadequate space. As a result, they are left with crowded adult teeth. Oftentimes, the holes left behind from baby teeth are not wide enough, causing permanent teeth to rotate in order to fit correctly. However, with the HealthyStart system, the oral device can better guide these adult teeth into the proper position, decreasing the likelihood that they will be crowded and increasing the chances that they will grow in straight.
Because we want to provide your child with softer material in the beginning, it may be possible for them to bite through the material. If they do bite through and you alert Dr. Prach to the issue, a second appliance can be provided that is made from a slightly more durable, stronger material, making it much more difficult for your child to bite through.
This is dependent upon your childs individual needs. There is no set amount for the HealthyStart system, as different factors can contribute to the overall cost. It is important to check with your dental insurance company to find out if the HealthyStart system will be covered but remember, it is an extremely cost-effective solution when you begin to think about the price of future sleep apnea or orthodontic treatment. By starting the HealthyStart system early, you will be taking the correct steps to avoid unnecessary treatments that can be extremely costly.