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Cosmetic Dentistry

The appearance of the teeth has a dramatic effect on self-image and self-esteem. Your smile communicates not only who you are, but also how you feel about yourself.

Insecurity about one's facial appearance can lead to social isolation and a lack of confidence when it comes to interacting with others. Additionally, studies show that a person's appearance has a strong impact of their career success. While the appearance of the teeth is one of the most important contributors to physical attractiveness, it is also probably the most neglected attribute when improvements to appearance are considered.

Here's the good news! A person with low self-esteem connected to their facial appearance can often achieve a healthy, radiant smile through cosmetic dental procedures. Dental makeovers have become more common, less invasive, and more successful in correcting cosmetic dental problems. And the effect of these procedures can be exceptionally dramatic! Our cosmetic patients report a boost in self-esteem and confidence, greatly improved social interactions, and an overall sense of well being connected to their new smile. Twisted, missing, or damaged teeth are no longer a matter of fate or genetics. Having a beautiful smile is now a matter of choice, and we will provide you with all the information you need to make that life-changing choice!

Teeth Whitening Dentistry

As we age, our teeth often darken, a process that can be expedited by the use of such substances as tobacco, coffee, or tea. Teeth whitening, also called bleaching, lightens the color of your teeth. These brightening effects can last up to five years after treatment.

Bleaching has a higher than 90% success rate with most patients who pursue this treatment method. Bleaching is hard on stains, but mild on your teeth! Using a teeth-whitening process can be one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways of making a substantial cosmetic improvement in a timely manner. However, bleaching will not lighten porcelain or silver fillings, or synthetic materials used in dental repair such as porcelain crowns and veneers.

The quickest and safest option is professional teeth-whitening treatments offered by a dental expert. This method takes place under the close attention of a dental professional and is performed in the dental office using an intensive bleaching system such as the ZOOM! Whitening System. This method lightens teeth instantly. The whitening process entails applying a bleaching solution directly to the teeth to eliminate stains and discoloration, and then using an ultraviolet light to help activate the bleach. Treatment usually takes one to two hours, with noticeable results by the time you leave.

The second most safe and effective brightening option is teeth whitening trays and solutions offered by a dental professional, as opposed to buying a store brand product whose efficacy and safety have not necessarily been proven. We offer two take-home bleaching methods: Nite-White®, which works while you sleep, and Day-White®, which you use for one hour, twice a day. Both methods utilize custom-fitted trays and doctor prescribed bleaching gel, and both offer noticeable results within 10 to 14 days.

Very sensitive teeth, or teeth that are chipped, decayed, or weakened by cavities or periodontal disease should be repaired and/or treated before they are bleached. The dentist may also discourage the bleaching option if you are pregnant or nursing. The main side effect of doctor-monitored teeth whitening procedures is sensitivity to hot and cold foods and liquids. This sensitivity normally disappears within 48 hours.

A radiant smile isn't just for celebrities anymore! Doctor-prescribed bleaching is a safe, effective, and easy means of achieving a whiter smile!

Dental Bonding

The term dental bonding can refer to several different, yet related, dental techniques. Essentially, dental bonding is a procedure in which the dentist attaches tooth-colored dental filling material to a tooth, thus restoring the tooth's natural appearance and function. Bonding conceals natural tooth defects through the application of a thin biocompatible coating on the front surface of the tooth. After treating the tooth surface, our specialists apply a bonding material that is then sculpted, shaped and color-matched to best fit your specific needs. Once the bonding agent hardens the new surface is smoothed and polished to look and feel just like your natural teeth.

Bonding can lighten stains, decrease gaps, and even realign crooked or malformed teeth. We utilize the bonding technique to change the shape or color of a single tooth, or to improve the appearance of your entire smile. Dental bonding can be used to improve the surface of a tooth, to replace tooth structure that has been chipped or broken, or to repair damage caused by decay, illness, or injury.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain Veneers are an effective alternative to the dental bonding option and have the same effect of lightening stains, closing gaps, and adjusting crooked or or malformed teeth. Porcelain veneers can also be used to repair teeth that have been worn down from years of clenching and nighttime grinding. However, veneers are considerably more durable and stain resistant than dental bonding.

A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is bonded to the front surface of a tooth to improve its cosmetic appearance. Once it has adhered to the tooth it becomes extremely strong. This stabilizes the tooth surface and protects it from further staining and damage. We then blend the veneer with the tooth so that the shell portion is completely invisible to the naked eye, creating a unified appearance and natural-looking, healthy smile. Once in place, your veneer looks, feels, and functions just like your natural tooth.

Dr. Bridges is a certified Durathin Veneer provider. Durathin Veneers can often be done with NO REMOVAL OF ENAMEL! Call today at 270-444-6414 and schedule a consult to see if you’re a candidate for these beautiful and strong veneers. To learn more, visit: www.durathinveneers.com

We have used porcelain veneers to change the shape and color of just a single tooth and also to restore entire smiles to their once-youthful luster. Veneers can be an excellent way to make a dramatic change in your overall appearance!

Crowns and Bridges

The team at Paducah Dental Care delivers affordable comfortable comprehensive dental care. Drs. Scott Bridges and William Walden offer full service dentistry ranging from general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, to restorative dentistry. If you are missing teeth, or would like the smile makeover of your dreams porcelain crowns and or a porcelain bridge may be your best option.

Porcelain Crowns are simply caps for your natural teeth that can be used to support weak tooth structure, or change shape and color. Crowns and bridges can be considered part of restorative dentistry as well as cosmetic dentistry. By creating these porcelain overlays the beautiful “Hollywood smile” you have always wanted is possible, along with the function you desire. Drs. Walden and Bridges can use porcelain crowns and bridges to restore your bite and increase chewing function. Worn down teeth may cause jaw joint problems, unnecessary headaches, and arthritis. With the experience and comprehensive dental treatment offered by Dr. Walden and Dr. Bridges years of wear can be corrected in as little as one visit.

Drs. Walden and Bridges can replace missing teeth with natural tooth colored bridges by using the teeth located on each side of the missing tooth. Once the porcelain bridge has been hand fabricated by our certified dental technician the new porcelain teeth will be joined to the natural teeth with cement. Our patients love their porcelain crowns and bridges, because they look beautiful and feel like real teeth! They appreciate the fact that we can provide metal free porcelain crowns and bridges, without that dark metal halo so many us have seen.

We can solve years of your dental problems in a short amount of time with restorations made of porcelain. Drs. Walden and Bridges want you to know that each patient is unique and special to them, whether you desire a single tooth restored or an entire arch replaced. You will always be treated as an individual with your concerns and health our first consideration. Contact our office, and let us help you enjoy smiling again with porcelain restorations! You have only seen porcelain this beautiful in a museum.

Tooth Colored Fillings

Our world is constantly changing with new innovations and materials resulting in better products for the consumer. Dentistry is no different than other industries. This is why at Paducah Dental Care our doctors, William Walden and Scott Bridges, are continuously furthering their education and skills to provide their patients the up most quality of care. Drs. Walden and Bridges pride themselves in offering the safest and most modern dental materials available such as composite restorations.

Composite restorations also known as tooth colored fillings are custom made to the exact color and contour of your natural teeth. White fillings are made of composite resin and serve to fill decayed or broken teeth similar to the old silver amalgam fillings. Drs. Walden and Bridges offer resin fillings to provide a safe alternative to leaking silver fillings which contain mercury. Composite resin is actually bonded to the tooth. The bond created by the resin material provides internal support, unlike unsightly metal restorations which tend to drive a metal wedge between the tooth contributing to cracks and fractures. Drs. Walden and Dr. Bridges will use composite restorations to restore your tooth’s original function while looking more natural and less noticeable. Tooth colored fillings are just another example of modern dentistry we provide at Paducah Dental Care.

Drs. Walden and Bridges can also use composite restorations for dental bonding. Bonding may be used to cosmetically change the shape of the tooth or close unwanted space between teeth. Composite material adheres to the tooth by using a bonding agent, allowing the restoration to be placed with little or no natural tooth structure removed. In the past, removing tooth structure was necessary to create retention for the metal fillings. Now Dr. Walden and Dr. Bridges use composite restorations to preserve as much of your natural tooth structure as possible. If you are tired of looking at cracked gray fillings, would like to correct spacing between teeth, or have concerns that your fillings may be leaking, give us call. Our team of dental professionals led by Drs. Walden and Bridges will answer your questions and provide you with exceptional dental care!

Facial Aesthetics

At Paducah Dental Care we believe that a youthful look begins with a healthy smile, however, we know that it doesn't end there. That is why we are pleased to offer Botox© and other Dermafillers to compliment your great smile. We can use Botox to smooth out forehead wrinkles, frown lines, and crows feet It can also be used to fill in lips and facial areas around the mouth, chin and nose. When used correctly, Botox can give you that youthful glow without the appearance that you had anything done.

Botox© is a safe, effective, proven method of smoothing out wrinkles in the forehead, around the eyes, mouth, and the bridge of the nose. It is injected into muscles that over time cause skin to wrinkle, and once this muscle activity is reduced, skin overlying the muscles is allowed to regain a smoother, more youthful look. There are many misconceptions about Botox©. First of all, Botox© is not a poison, but a protein created by a bacteria. There are no live or dead bacteria in Botox©. Botox© works by reducing muscle activity. Secondly, this action is not permanent, but typically lasts three to four months, at which time the patient may elect to retreat with Botox©.

Dermafiller is a general term used to describe bio-compatible materials placed within or under the skin to replace tissue lost by normal aging. Over time, the facial tissue loses elasticity and volume, causing folds around the mouth, nose, and chin. Gravity causes this tissue to sag and folds develop. The volume that is lost is largely a natural substance produced by the body called hyaluronic acid. The Dermafillers used by Paducah Dental Care are made up of this same material, and are injected within the skin to replace the same material lost during the aging process.

Just as we do with all of the dental procedures we offer, we take every precaution to make sure that the process is as painless as possible. Our patients are numb for this procedure and generally report little to no discomfort.

Dr Walden is now offering complimentary bleaching with all Botox©/Dermafiller Treatments. Whitening allows us to remove unsightly stains from your teeth that come from normal wear and tear. In one visit we will remove years off your face and your smile. You will leave the office feeling like you just shaved ten years off your appearance.

Before and After

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