Comprehensive Dental Services

At our dental office in Elizabethtown and Hardin County, we take pride in being one of the region’s first to offer CEREC® CAD/CAM technology for same day crowns. We understand that our patients lead busy lives, which is why we provide high-quality crowns manufactured right here in our office using advanced CEREC milling systems. This innovation eliminates the need to send crowns to out-of-town labs, allowing most patients to avoid uncomfortable, temporary crowns during the waiting period.

Now, you don’t have to travel to Louisville, Lexington, or Nashville for exceptional dental care. Call us today at 270.737.8828 to discover if our one-day crowns are the perfect solution for you.

Why Choose Same Day Crowns?

CEREC® technology for same day milled ceramic crowns has been available for years but is now accessible locally, saving you time and hassle. Many may remember the popular demonstration of one-day dental restorations on shows like the David Letterman Show, showcasing the ease and efficiency of this method.

Our CEREC® system employs a state-of-the-art laser and visual scanner to create precise digital impressions. This process eliminates the uncomfortable traditional impression methods that often leave patients gagging. With CEREC®, we can produce high-quality ceramic restorations in-house, ensuring an accurate fit and minimizing the need for multiple visits.

The Benefits of CEREC® Same Day Crowns:

Convenience: Say goodbye to the inconvenience of temporary crowns and multiple dental appointments.
Quality: Each crown is crafted on-site with high-quality materials, ensuring durability and a natural appearance.
Speed: Get your crown on the same day and enjoy a restored smile without the wait.
Commitment to Quality Care

While investing in CEREC® technology requires significant resources and training, we are proud to offer this modern solution to our patients in the Fort Knox, Elizabethtown, Radcliff, and Hardin County areas. The local community has experienced significant growth and demands higher standards in health care, and we are dedicated to meeting those expectations.

Embracing digital advancements, our practice prioritizes high-quality, gentle, and efficient dental solutions. We are committed to providing exceptional dental services tailored to fit modern lifestyles—all available right in your hometown.

Experience the future of dentistry with our same day crowns and restore your smile conveniently and affordably. Contact us today to learn more!

Periodontal disease is just that, a disease. In fact, it is a disease that affects the gum tissue and bone that surrounds and supports our teeth. The problem is that the bacteria finds a safe haven in a person’s infected gums and bones and easily infiltrate our blood circulatory system.. They can reach and infect our vital organs, and even our blood vessels themselves, as they are being circulated throughout our body.

The idea that periodontal disease is associated with many systemic diseases first became a topic in the news about ten years ago. In the early part of 2013, the concern heated up because it had been reported that there was now strong epidemiologic evidence that periodontitis provides an increased risk for future cardiovascular disease. Periodontitis is now regarded as a risk factor along with other risk factors (hypertension, obesity, tobacco use, etc.). There is also an association/relationship between periodontal disease and many other systemic illnesses, (heart disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cognitive impairment, cancer, and adverse pregnancy outcomes to name a few).

How patients feel about this and whether they want to step up to today’s higher standards of periodontal disease management and periodontal therapy varies greatly. Just as some people choose to ignore the health risk factors of hypertension, obesity, and tobacco use, several choose to ignore the risk of having periodontal disease as well. There are many people that never see the doctor, and probably never have their blood pressure checked. There are also people today that continue to smoke despite all of the reported risks.

We believe that there is so much scientific evidence out now supporting the idea that periodontal disease is probably a large risk factor to our good health, it is our ethical responsibility and professional duty to raise the bar on what is acceptable in our patients’ periodontal health. A few years ago, I was told that my 135/92 blood pressure was just “prehypertension.” I was told at that time that there was no need for me to be on any high blood pressure medicine or care. I was told to get a little more exercise. A year or so later, the acceptable guidelines for blood pressure changed. I was told that I DID have high blood pressure, and I was placed on blood pressure medicine. I would not dream of not taking my blood pressure medicine today. I would also have been very upset with my medical doctor had he not informed me of the change in the standard of care for blood pressure and made the appropriate changes in managing my blood pressure.

We know that the vast majority of our patients WANT to know about this, and to know what is available in modern dental and periodontal care. If we treat periodontal disease at the old standard of care, and tell you that gingivitis and “early periodontitis” aren’t that bad and OK to “just watch,” we are just like your physician today telling you that smoking is OK, just cut back some. (There was a time not that many years ago when smoking was regarded as “OK”/not a health risk.)

Not at all surprising, dental insurance will often not fully cover today’s higher standard of periodontal therapy and treatment, like they don’t always cover tooth-colored composites and ceramic crowns. Dental insurance often covers only the most basic standard of treatment: silver fillings, metal crowns, not porcelain, partial dentures, not implants. Fortunately, periodontal therapy is usually not very expensive. Many patients who elect to have today’s higher standard of periodontal care and therapy will spend less on this treatment than they do on their hair and nails.

We are very committed to staying up with today’s standard of care!

The oral health/systemic health connection has been theorized and suspected for around the last 100 years. Still, research and supporting scientific evidence for this theory has been greatly lacking until the last few years.

Today, there is still no proven causal relationship between periodontal disease and other systemic diseases, but there has been a flood of recent scientific studies and findings that strongly support an association/connection between periodontal disease and many systemic diseases. This is not to say that eliminating or preventing periodontal disease will eliminate the chances of ever developing other diseases, and doing so now may not improve the lives of those who already have these diseases.

At this time, we should think of periodontal disease as a large health risk factor just like smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. When we have periodontal disease, the bacteria involved in our gum disease enters our bloodstream and are able to freely travel to our other vital organs and organ systems. The very same bacteria that originates in our body when we develop gum disease are now being identified in other diseases. The idea is that periodontal disease is providing a source of these bacteria. The amount of bacteria in our blood stream is referred to as our bacterial load. The new standard of dental health care goal is to try to eliminate or at least greatly minimize that bacterial load stemming from our periodontal disease.

The diode dental laser is a commonly used and highly effective modern device in periodontal therapy procedures that reduce our systemic bacterial load stemming from periodontal disease. The American Dental Association has recognized these services and it has adopted new procedure codes for these periodontal laser therapy procedures and dubbed them Laser Bacterial Reduction.

Unlike the old hand scaling and root planing procedures alone, the laser light kills the bacteria and breaks up the biofilm that harbor the bacteria inside of our gum pockets. Scaling and root planing remove calculus/tartar but they do not kill the bacteria or disrupt the biofilm layer. The bacteria are able to quickly regroup after scaling and root planing and continue to add to the higher bacteria load in our blood streams. Because the diode laser more effectively kills the bacteria and breaks up the biofilm, it helps to decrease our periodontal disease and our bloodstream bacterial load more effectively than dental scaling and root planing alone.

Dental laser therapy is usually a mostly pain-free procedure requiring no anesthesia or a fairly minimal amount. It IS NOT a surgical periodontal procedure. Like all periodontal treatments, procedures, and surgeries, these are not ever definitive one-time procedures. It is always necessary to manage periodontal health through diligent effective home and continued professional management care with your healthcare professionals to avoid future regression and the return of periodontal disease.

Dental implants, and the dental restorations that they support, can be stronger and more durable than other restorative alternatives, such as crowns and bridges that are cemented into place, or dentures that are removable.

Implants can, in some situations, offer a more permanent solution to tooth loss. Dental implants and crowns do not get cavities, and in some situations they can provide a more stable foundation for both fixed bridges and removable denture restorations. Although there are many restorative options for replacing missing teeth, today’s dental implants are often considered to be among the most functionally effective and durable options.

Could dental implants be right choice for you?
Since dental implants are placed in the bone, patients must be beyond adolescence, after the bone has grown and developed. Some medical conditions such as active diabetes, cancer, or periodontal disease, may require attention and treatment before the implant procedure can be performed, and can keep the patient from being a candidate altogether.

Patients will first need to have their teeth and gums thoroughly examined and their bone density and quantity evaluated. This will often involve x-rays and computer tomography (CT) scans to determine that there is sufficient bone structure for placing the implant(s), and exactly where the implant(s) should be placed.

The condition of a patient’s oral tissues, oral hygiene, personal habits, and their commitment to following aftercare instructions all play a role in determining the most appropriate dental implant treatment plan for that patient. Some patients with insufficient bone or gum tissue may require bone or soft tissue grafts and/or the use of small diameter implants (also called mini implants).

If the patient who considers receiving a dental implant is a smoker, they should quit before undergoing any dental implant procedure because smoking can significantly increase the risk of implant failure. Patients taking immunosuppressant medications, or with immunosuppressive disorders are usually at a higher risk of implant failure and may not be candidates for this procedure.

What are the success rates for dental implants?
Dental implants are among the most successful procedures in dentistry today. There is no guarantee that a dental implant procedure will be successful, but studies have shown a five-year success rate of 95 percent for lower jaw implants and 90 percent for the upper jaw.

What are the risks?
Dental implants can fail for a number of reasons, but the cause is often related to a failure in the osseointegration (fusing of the implant to the bone) process. Dental implants may break and the site in which they were placed may become infected. Or, the crown restoration on top of the implant may become loose.

Often classified as snoring, sleep apnea and other sleep-related breathing disorders are far more serious. Individuals with sleep apnea repeatedly stop breathing during their sleep. These pauses—lasting anywhere from a few seconds up to a few minutes—deprive the body of much-needed oxygen. These disruptions may occur hundreds of times during one night!

How we help
Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) is the traditional treatment for sleep apnea. This system consists of a machine that pumps air continuously into a nasal mask strapped to the patient’s head during sleep. CPAP is a highly effective way to manage sleep apnea, but it can be uncomfortable and difficult to tolerate for some patients.

For many patients, a custom oral appliance provides a comfortable, easy-to-use alternative to CPAP. It works by holding the lower jaw in an open, precise, forward position. This prevents the soft tissues in the neck and throat from collapsing and causing lapses in breathing. Your device is custom-made to fit your mouth specifically. For many patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea, an oral appliance offers a less restrictive, lightweight alternative to CPAP.

There are also a few surgical options designed to reduce or remove excess tissue in the airway. If indicated, our doctor will review and discuss these options with you.

Digital radiographs offer a way to capture dental images through a sensor that processes the image onto a computer screen. Digital x-rays can provide greater comfort than traditional x-rays and greatly reduce exposure to radiation. Four digital radiographs are relatively equal to one film x-ray.

Digital x-rays, like digital pictures, can be adjusted for exposure factors, magnified for better viewing, enhanced with color to aid in diagnosing and, since they are digital images, can be e-mailed to insurance companies, other attending doctors, and patients who have relocated.

Digital x-rays are more eco-friendly in that they do not require the large amounts of water that film x-rays need to process (develop). They save on plastic and paper waste, and do not require the toxic chemicals that are used in developing film x-rays that end up being disposed of in our city water and sewage system.

The NTI splint is an anterior splint used for TMD patients. This tiny mouthpiece can reduce the force of jaw clenching during sleep and the frequency and intensity of some types of headaches. The NTI has been reported in literature as having the potential application of helping to treat patients affected by migraine headaches.

Intraoral cameras can produce accurate images of your teeth and the supporting structure. This allows you, your dentist, and a dental technician to see tooth defects. Intraoral cameras also help you to learn more about dental hygiene practices, including where to focus on brushing your teeth.

Dental porcelain or ceramic veneers are custom-designed shells of tooth-like ceramic material that, when applied over the surface of a tooth, can cover worn tooth enamel, uneven tooth alignment or spacing, and chips or cracks.

Dental ceramic veneers fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry because they create a bright, white smile with beautifully aligned, shapely teeth. Even better, the translucent ceramic quality of today’s veneers provides a natural look. They are often ultra thin, requiring little or no grinding on the teeth and may not require dental anesthesia.

Regardless of what causes unattractive teeth, dental veneers may solve most or even all of your cosmetic dental issues, including:

● Worn enamel: Over time, the thin, hard white substance covering your teeth (enamel) may become worn, dulled, and discolored. Such wear and discoloration may be natural or the result of a genetic predisposition; however, it is often a result of your habits (soft drink, tea, or coffee consumption, smoking, medication use, etc.).
● Wear and tear: Teeth naturally wear down as people age. Aged teeth are more likely to have chips, cracks or a generally uneven appearance.
● Genetics: Certain people may be born with abnormal spacing between the teeth that grows wider as they age.
● Uneven teeth: Uneven teeth can result from tooth grinding or general wear and tear.

At Hammer and Van Zant Family Dentistry, we offer our patients the benefits of Botox® Cosmetic dermal fillers. What better way to enhance your freshly whitened smile, beautiful veneers, or straighter teeth than with a newly refreshed and more youthful appearance? Men and women alike can enjoy the benefits of these procedures, completed in our office in less than an hour.

What is Botox® Cosmetic and how does it work?

Botox® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into your facial muscles. It is used to reduce the look of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows and “crow’s feet” that develop around the eyes. It works by blocking the nerve impulses to the injected sites, reducing the muscle activity that causes these persistent lines to form. The effects of Botox® cosmetic are temporary, lasting up to 4 months.

Why should I consider Botox® Cosmetic?

You may have noticed frown lines between your brows or “crow’s feet” near your eyes, making you look tired or even older than you should. Ask Dr. Van Zant if Botox® is right for you. Real results, no surgery, and no recovery time necessary are a few of the reasons to choose treatment with Botox® Cosmetic.

Is there any medical reason to use Botox® Cosmetic?

Yes. Botox® Cosmetic may be used in the treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ/TMD). Botox® Cosmetic is injected into facial and jaw muscles to provide relief from jaw tension and soreness. Additionally, these injections can reduce bruxism (teeth grinding), minimize lockjaw, and eliminate bruxism headaches.

Will I still be able to have facial expressions?

Although the results are visible, a treatment with Botox® Cosmetic will not radically change your facial appearance or make you look as if you’ve “had work done.” The muscle activity that causes frown lines between the brows is temporarily reduced, so you can still frown or look surprised, just without the wrinkles and creases.

How long can I expect my results to last?

Visible results can last up to 4 months. Your own results may vary. Dr. Van Zant will discuss with you what you should expect and when you should schedule your next appointment.

Rotary endodontics,”root canal” treatment is done by the dentist using a special electric motor powered handpiece to do the cleaning and shaping. The precision electric handpiece takes less time to do the procedure and is quiet and mostly vibration-free. This makes the procedure shorter and more comfortable for the patient.

Affordable dentures are a practical solution for individuals seeking an effective way to restore their smile and regain functionality. These removable dental appliances are designed to replace missing teeth and can be customized for comfort and functionality. Made from durable materials, affordable dentures not only improve appearance but also enhance the ability to chew and speak confidently.

The benefits of affordable dentures are numerous, addressing a variety of dental issues, including:

• Missing Teeth: Whether due to decay, injury, or aging, missing teeth can affect confidence and oral health. Affordable dentures provide a cost-effective way to restore a full smile.
• Improved Aesthetics: Modern dentures are designed to look and feel natural, helping individuals regain their self-esteem by improving their facial structure and alignment.
• Enhanced Oral Function: With properly fitted dentures, patients can enjoy a wider variety of foods and improve their overall nutrition, as they enable easier chewing and swallowing.

Teeth whitening is a popular cosmetic dentistry option that helps individuals achieve a brighter, whiter smile. Various treatment methods are available, from in-office procedures to at-home kits, each designed to remove stains and discoloration caused by aging, food, and lifestyle choices.

Benefits of teeth whitening include:

• Increased Confidence: A whiter smile can significantly boost self-esteem and encourage individuals to smile more frequently.

• Personalized Treatment: Dental professionals can tailor whitening plans to suit individual needs and sensitivities, ensuring optimal results with minimal discomfort.

• Long-Lasting Effects: With proper care and maintenance, the results of teeth whitening can last for an extended period, allowing patients to enjoy their radiant smiles.

Partial dentures are a valuable option for individuals who are missing some of their natural teeth but still have healthy ones remaining. These removable appliances fill gaps caused by missing teeth, providing support and restoring function.

Advantages of partial dentures include:

• Cost-Effectiveness: Compared to full dentures or implants, partial dentures offer a more affordable solution for tooth replacement while maintaining a natural look.
• Improved Eating and Speaking: By replacing missing teeth, partial dentures enhance the ability to chew and articulate words clearly, contributing to a better quality of life.
• Enhanced Oral Health: By filling gaps between teeth, partial dentures help prevent shifting of adjacent teeth and reduce the risk of further dental issues.