During the holiday season, many people resolve to make changes in their lives at the start of the new year. A large number of those resolutions involve improving a person’s overall wellness and fitness levels. From losing weight to starting a workout regimen, better health will be the goal for many of us during 2025.
However, one important area of wellness is often overlooked – maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Without proper dental hygiene and regular dental care, a person’s overall health can be seriously compromised. To learn more about how to keep a healthy smile, Hendersonville Lifestyle visited with local dentist Dr. Samantha Hughey-Wence, the owner of Imperial Dental Care in Hendersonville and Smiles by Samantha in Lebanon. Along with her fellow dentist Dr. Candace Gallowitz, Dr. Samantha helps thousands of people across the community maintain good dental health.
What services does Imperial Dental Care offer to patients?
“At Imperial Dental, we provide a wide range of dental services, including routine checkups and teeth cleanings, restorative fillings, crowns, extractions, implant placement and restorations, full and partial dentures, select root canals and Invisalign treatments. We also offer BOTOX treatments to treat TMJ pain and discomfort, as well as for cosmetic reasons. In our practice, we love to treat the whole family – kids and adults.”
What is Invisalign?
“Invisalign is a cutting-edge alternative to conventional braces. With Invisalign, we apply a series of custom crafted clear aligners that progressively straighten teeth for health bites and smiles. Unlike regular braces, the Invisalign aligners provide a discrete, comfortable and convenient way of correcting teeth misalignment.
At Imperial Dental, we are one of the top providers of Invisalign treatments in Tennessee. I am a platinum plus certified Invisalign provider, which is one of the highest distinctions within the profession. I am happy to help my patients with this wonderful treatment for both cosmetic and functional needs.”
What are your top tips for maintaining healthy teeth and gums?
“Dental care is not difficult, but it does require daily attention, including regular brushing and flossing. It is also important to maintain a healthy diet that is low in sugary and acidic foods. We encourage our patients to also be careful about what they drink by limiting sodas, teas, coffees and energy drinks as these liquids can cause teeth to break down over time. It is best to only consume these items when eating a meal and drink water the rest of the day.”
What types of dental care products do you recommend?
“We encourage our patients to brush their teeth regularly using an electric toothbrush. There are many great toothbrushes on the market now that do a great job cleaning teeth. Rinsing devices such as Waterpiks are also good for maintaining good gum health. For patients looking to whiten their teeth using over the counter products, we recommend Crest White Strips, as they offer the best bang for the buck. Finally, for patients with sensitive teeth, we recommend Sensodyne toothpaste in order to minimize brushing discomfort.”
How can patients overcome their fear of going to the dentist?
“Regular dental visits reduce anxiety by allowing teeth and gum issues to be caught at early stages, avoiding big surprises and procedures. Also, many patients wear headphones to listen to music to avoid hearing noises such as drill sounds, which can make them nervous. Finally, we talk our patients through every procedure so that they understand what we are doing.”
What should patients look for in a dentist?
“Patients should seek out dentists who will treat them as individuals and help them achieve their goals for oral health. A dentist should value their patients’ time and treat them with respect.”
Imperial Dental Care
537 East Main Street,
Hendersonville, TN 37075
615.822.0833
ImperialDentalTN.com
"My staff and I really enjoy getting to know our patients. We see them as individuals, and not numbers. We are genuinely interested in our patients as persons, and not just their teeth."