Rinsing with water after brushing your teeth (and gums) washes away the fluoride that protects your enamel. CPT Heather Wilkinson, a dental provider from Fort Riley, gives a rapid-fire, 90-second demonstration on:
- The 45-Degree Angle for your gums.
- Why you must brush your tongue (avoid the dreaded "hairy tongue")
- The Spit, Don't Rinse rule.
Upgrade your hygiene and stay dental ready.
Music title "Rites of Passage 2" by Scott Buckley (@ScottBuckley) – released under CC-BY 4.0.
When Dylan Banks looks into the mouth of a Fort Riley patient, he isn’t just looking at enamel and gums. He is looking at the readiness of the 1st Infantry Division.
Banks is entering his fourth year at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. In his mid-30s, the Air Force veteran is completing an externship at Fort Riley’s Custer Hill Dental Clinic.
For three weeks, he has traded the academic environment of his civilian dental school for the fast-paced, real-world consequences of Army dentistry. It’s an environment that has shaped his understanding of what the profession is meant to achieve.
“I like the aspect that you’re not bound to choose, you’re not having to look at financials to make a determination...
08.21.2026 | FORT RILEY, KANSAS, US |
Story by Jorge Gomez
FORT RILEY, Kan. — UMKC dental student Dylan Banks speaks with Fort Riley DENTAC Commander LTC Aaron Amano on his final day at Fort Riley. Banks, a former Air Force enlisted technician, shared his reflections on treating 1st Infantry Division Soldiers and the unique clinical perspective gained through the civilian-military educational partnership. mission-driven care.
