Dental Services
Our staff is committed to only one goal, a desire to insure that you receive the best and most appropriate dental health care available
- Cleanings
- Soft Tissue Therapy / Periodontal Therapy
- Crowns
- Bridge Work
- Dentures & Partial Dentures
- Invisalign Clear Braces
- Tooth Colored Fillings
- Root Canal Therapy
- Extractions
- Digital X-rays
- Tooth Whitening
Our Commitment to You
We will never recommend any treatment for you that we would not want to have done for our own family members. We will never try to “sell” anything to you, or propose any treatment that isn’t absolutely necessary for your best oral and overall health.
We have seen countless instances where patients have trusted our recommendations for treatment with beautiful, long lasting results and greatly improved oral health. We invite you to join us in making that commitment.
Oral Hygiene Services
Our hygiene department is second to none. We are dedicated to informing every patient of the enormous changes in philosophy with regard to oral health and overall health.
The connection of mouth and body, though seemingly obvious, has just recently been scientifically linked. We have long seen the condition of red, inflamed, and bleeding gums in patients but now we can connect such dental infection to systemic issues such as increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and pregnancy complications.
Our Hygiene department is going to assess your individual needs and recommend treatment to bring you into ideal oral health. A “simple” six month cleaning may be just what you need, but we can also offer more advanced cleanings for patients with a more involved periodontal condition.
Along with getting and keeping your mouth in excellent shape, our hygienists can assist you on topics of controlling tooth decay, helping your children stay healthy and cavity free, sleep related issues, snoring, TMJ pain, and more. Call today to start on your path to better health.
Fillings & Restorations
Our office is proud to offer every type of restoration known in dentistry today. These range from the more common tooth colored resin fillings to replacing completely missing teeth with life like ceramic crowns sitting on top of titanium implant cylinders.
We offer a range of procedures and materials from tooth colored sealants for children which protect their newly erupted adult molars from decay, to replacement of worn-out silver fillings which have allowed new decay to start in the tooth again. This results in a clean, healthy tooth protected by the bond of the new resin material. This also results in an often brighter, virtually undetectable restoration.
We can also improve the shape, size and color of your teeth through cosmetic porcelain veneers. Ask us to show you a simple in office “make-over” of your teeth today.
<h3 “=””>ADVANTAGES OF TOOTH COLORED FILLINGS
The resin filling is bonded to the teeth creating a tight seal to the natural tooth. The tooth remains intact around the filling and can actually add some support to the tooth. The material has very similar physical properties to natural tooth structure and can help desensitize sensitive teeth.
Dr. Whitney’s office is the best. I had a couple broken front teeth, and I’m happy to say he repaired them for me and now I smile. I feel very comfortable going in there. Everyone is always so friendly and caring.
Rebecca D.
Tooth Replacement Options
IMPLANTS
A Dental Implant is a procedure that comes as close to replacing a natural tooth as there is in dentistry. These procedures have been done for decades and have a success rate of over 90%. These “man-made roots” are placed where the natural root had been and then have a beautiful porcelain tooth secured over them. The process typically requires a visit to an Oral Surgeon to assess the area for enough bone to support the implant. Following placement of the implant, a simple impression is done to have the custom tooth fitted over top.
FIXED BRIDGES
Another alternative to replacing a missing tooth or teeth is a fixed bridge (sometimes called a fixed partial denture). This is usually a tooth colored porcelain restoration that places two or more crowns over adjacent teeth to support replacement teeth where the natural ones have been lost. A fixed bridge is bonded or cemented into place.
Your ability to chew properly, the stability of your bite and your appearance, all are important reasons for a fixed bridge.
REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURES
As its name describes, this appliance readily can be taken out of the mouth for cleaning both it and the natural teeth that it holds to. Although removable partials generally have less cost , they are less convenient than fixed bridges and tend to be reserved for situations where a larger number of teeth are missing. When indicated and able to be performed, fix or “attached” bridge work or dental implants are more stable and comfortable.
Depending on your situation, however, a removable bridge may be the right treatment. Removable bridges attach to your natural teeth with metal clasps or devices called precision attachments. A clasp free removable bridge, when indicated, may provide better support and esthetics. Crowns on your natural teeth may improve the way a removable bridge fits your mouth. Ask us which type is right for you.
Root Canal / Endodontic Therapy
Root canal treatment involves the removal of the tooth’s pulp, a small thread-like tissue that was important for the tooth development.
The pulp is the soft tissue that contains the blood vessel, nerves and connective tissue of a tooth. It lies in a canal that runs through the center of the dentin – the hard tissue on the inside of the tooth that supports the outer layer of the tooth enamel. The pulp extends from this chamber down through the root canal to the tip of the root. It is this area that becomes infected by the bacteria in a deep cavity. It is this infection that causes the pain that has given this procedure its infamous reputation, not the procedure itself.
The procedure should be basically pain free. The answer to eliminating the pain and saving the tooth is removing this troubled nerve material from the canal with simple cleaning procedures. The key is to have check ups and minor fillings before cavities can damage the nerve.
WHY MIGHT THE DENTAL PULP NEED TO BE REMOVED?
If the pulp is diseased or injured and unable to repair itself, it loses its vitality. The most common causes of pulp death are a deep cavity, a crack, or traumatic injury to the tooth, all of which can allow bacteria and their products to leak into the pulp.
If the injured or diseased pulp is not removed, the tissue surrounding the root of the tooth can become infected and an abscess can form, resulting in pain and swelling. Even if there is no pain, certain substances released by bacteria can damage the bone that anchors the tooth in the jaw. Without treatment, the tooth may have to be removed.
Invisalign
The invisible way to straighten your teeth without braces.
The Invisalign method of moving teeth uses a series of clear removable aligners to straighten your teeth without metal wires or brackets. The aligners are made through a combination of Dr. Whitney’s expertise and 3-D computer imaging technology.
You wear each set of aligners for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss. As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position Dr. Whitney has prescribed. Total treatment time will vary for each patient.
224 Main Street, Damariscotta, ME 04543
Phone: 207-563-5222 • Fax: 207-563-6811
Hours: Mon 8a-5p | Tue 9a-6p | Wed 8a-5p | Thur 8a-3p
Email: smile@williamjwhitneydds.com
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