Hayden Family Dental helps patients reach their smile and oral health goals

Going to the dentist can be a daunting experience for many of us, particularly when something’s not right. But according to Dr. Rebecca Hayden of Hayden Family Dental, it doesn’t have to be that way.

“Our culture is very relaxed and very educational,” says Hayden of her practice. “We never make patients feel uncomfortable about what they’re coming to us with. If their mouth’s not in the best shape, they don’t even need to worry about feeling embarrassed about that because we’re going to help them make decisions from that day forward.”

Hayden is passionate about dentistry, oral health and patient education, and wants her patients to feel the same way. She first started in dentistry back in high school as a general office assistant. That high school job led to a college position, and then dental school. She graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry in 2002 and has been practicing ever since.

“I love patient education. I’m an advocate of making a connection with my patient and letting them know what’s going on with their mouth and how it connects to their body. I give them the tools that they need to take control of their oral health and move forward in a successful manner. Our goal is always for them to keep their teeth as long as they can,” she says.

Hayden and her team work with patients of all ages, from 3-year-olds to their grandparents, providing dental exams, cleanings, fillings and more at the practice located at 9200 Montgomery Road, Building G, Suite 20B, in Montgomery. In addition, Hayden also performs restorative procedures (such as full mouth rehabilitation, dental implants, bridges and crowns) and cosmetic dentistry (which includes teeth whitening, veneers and Invisalign).

“We do a lot of comprehensive cases where we’re doing orthodontics, implants and crowns to set the mouth up. We restore patients who have no teeth at all. And we do procedures called All-On-4, where if you are missing all your teeth or your mouth is failing in your dentition, we can replace upper and lower arches with screwed in implants and a whole arch of teeth,” she says.

Another procedure offered by Hayden may not come to mind when you think about going to the dentist—Hayden Family Dental offers Botox injections.

Hayden uses Botox for both cosmetic and medical reasons. Those seeking to soften wrinkles and crow’s feet can find treatment with Hayden, but those with a TMJ disorder (which can cause pain in the jaw joint and jaw muscles) may also find relief with Botox.

“We do a full TMJ evaluation and then after that we talk about doing a night guard if that works for them. And then we use Botox therapy to get the muscles to be able to relax and decrease their facial pain,” she says.

Botox typically wears off in three-to-four months, but Hayden says that the frequency of injections can decrease if patients stick with the treatment.

“As that muscle relaxes and isn’t firing as hard, we find that patients can go a little bit longer to maybe where they’re only needing the Botox once every six months if they do it routinely,” she says.