Working with larger .stl wireframe files I'm trying to use an .stl file that imports as a tightly bound wire mesh that it difficult to work with.

My computer lags or the file seems too big for color/texture/etc. Is there a way to reduce the file or to change a setting to be able to work with larger files like this or am I doomed?

Trying to use a 3d scan of a mouth/teeth for numerous videos. Having something realistic and proportional will serve me well.

So, that is why I am trying to work with these larger files scans.
You can reduce the mesh density in Blender by using a Decimate or Remesh modifier: create the modifier, change the settings until the mesh is as detailed as you need it, and then apply it. Don't forget to apply it or your mesh will still be very dense in edit mode.

If your mesh is too large for Blender to load at all, you could try using Meshlab, which is also free and open source and works nicely with .stl files. This video shows how to decimate a mesh using Meshlab.