Better Dental Services From Your Paducah Dentist, Dr. Ben Johnson

Tooth Colored Fillings

The only thing worse than a mouth full of fillings is an obvious mouth full of fillings. Therefore, when you need a small filling but don’t want ugly silver in your teeth, direct resin or white fillings are the way to go. Their most obvious advantage is beauty – a well-done white filling can be indistinguishable from the natural tooth. They have many advantages. White fillings can change the appearance of teeth, strengthen teeth, and more conservatively treat teeth – all things that silver fillings cannot do.

Teeth Cleaning

Daily brushing and flossing will keep dental calculus to a minimum, however, a professional cleaning will remove calculus in places your toothbrush and floss have missed. Adults over 35 lose more teeth to gum diseases, (periodontal disease) than from cavities. Three out of four adults are affected at some time in their life. The best way to prevent cavities and periodontal disease is by good brushing and flossing techniques and regular professional dental teeth cleanings.

Teeth Whitening

While there are many over the counter products that claim to whiten teeth, a professional treatment is far more effective.  Teeth are often whitened using the many “bleaching” techniques available today. The most common method used is when a strong bleaching agent is placed over the teeth and a special light is used to assist in the lightening of your teeth. This method is is generally more controlled and better for people who have tetracycline stains or streaks on their teeth.

Dentures

A denture is an appliance that is inserted in the mouth, replaces natural teeth and provides support for the cheeks and lips.   Dentures over a normal course of time will wear and need to be replaced or relined in order to keep the jaw alignment normal. The alignment will slowly change as the bone and gum ridges recede or shrink due to the extraction of teeth. Regular dental examinations are still important for the denture wearer so that the oral tissues can be checked for disease or change.

Child Dental Care

The first dental visit is usually short and involves very little treatment. We may ask you to sit in the dental chair and hold your child during the examination. You may also be asked to wait in the reception area during part of the visit so that a relationship can be built between your child and your dentist.  We will gently examine your child’s teeth and gums. X-rays may be taken. We may clean your child’s teeth and apply topical fluoride to help protect the teeth against decay.  We will make sure that your child is receiving the right amount of flouride.

Root Canal Treatment

Endodontic therapy (root canal) is a treatment modality that will save diseased or injured teeth. The alternative to this is extraction. Typically, a severely decayed tooth or a tooth with a large filling will begin to ache. The pain might be intermittent at first and over time progress to a constant throbbing pain or a severe ache that might be felt on all the teeth on the affected side. Sometimes there is no pain and an abscess might be discovered on a routine x-ray.  If treated early enough, a root canal may save the infected tooth.

Night Guards

Do you notice that your teeth are chipping and wearing down more and more over time? Ever wake up with headaches, a sore jaw or teeth? These are all classic signs of clenching and grinding. Many patients don’t recognize these symptoms but it’s estimated that over 1/3 of the population suffers from some form of Bruxism. More often than not this occurs during sleep, so it’s difficult to manage on your own. If left to continue, these early signs and symptoms evolve into clicking and popping of the TMJ, pain upon eating and speaking, insomnia, eating disorders, and depression.

Nightguards are also important for patients who have extensive dental restorations.  Even if you are not bruxing at night, all patients with crowns, veneers, and implants should wear nightguards to protect their dental work and increase its longevity.

Porcelain Veneers

Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored material designed to cover the front surface of teeth. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size or length and resulting in a greatly improved appearance.

Dental veneers can be made from porcelain or from resin composite materials. Porcelain veneers resist stains better than resin veneers and better mimic the light reflecting properties of natural teeth. Resin veneers are sometimes thinner and may require removal of less of the tooth surface before placement, but every case is different.

We will be happy to discuss the best choice of veneer material for you. Call to schedule your consultation appointment today!