Convenient Access from Clinton
Early risers in farm country need a dentist who is open when they are. Kennebec Dental Excellence opens at 8:00 AM every weekday in Winslow, about 15 minutes south of Clinton village, and two general dentists handle everything from routine cleanings to extractions there. If you have been searching for a dentist in Clinton, ME who can see you before the day gets away, the drive down Routes 11 and 100 is a simple one.
Start at the Clinton Town Office, 27 Baker Street, in the heart of the village. Turn right onto Main Street, which carries Routes 11 and 100 south-southwest out of the village and soon becomes Bangor Road. Several miles on, bear right onto Neck Road where Route 139 joins, then turn left onto River Road. River Road becomes Benton Avenue as it enters Winslow, and you stay on it heading south.
Plan on about 15 minutes for the 8.4-mile trip, which stays on state routes and local roads the whole way and never touches I-95. After you pass Meadow View Lane, look for 464 Benton Ave, Winslow, ME 04901 on your right, with Central Maine Veterans Memorial Park just down the road. Save our location on Google Maps so the turn onto River Road is easy to spot the first time. Patients coming from Shawmut and Benton travel parts of the same road network.
A Practice That Keeps Dairy-Country Hours
Clinton is the northernmost town in Kennebec County, a rural community of about 3,370 people with a compact village on the north bank of the Sebasticook River. In 2012 the Maine Governor's Office described it as "the dairy capital of Maine," and on a dairy farm the workday starts long before most offices open. The town's neighbors include Benton, Fairfield, Canaan and Pittsfield.
Our schedule was not built for any one town, but it lines up well with how Clinton households work. Doors open at 8:00 AM Monday through Friday, so the first patient of the day can be on the road home by mid-morning. Monday to Thursday we see patients until 4:00 PM, and on Friday the last appointments run until 2:00 PM.
In the village, Brown Memorial Library on Railroad Street is a local point of pride. The building was designed by Maine architect John Calvin Stevens and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Brown Memorial Library runs as a department of the town. Families with younger kids at Clinton Elementary School, part of MSAD 49, often find a checkup fits neatly before the school day.
Broken Teeth, Old Fillings and Wisdom Teeth in Clinton
Urgent dental problems tend to fall into a few groups. A front tooth chipped in an accident, a molar that split on something hard, or a swollen jaw that kept someone up all night. Each one gets worse with waiting, and each one is easier to treat when it is seen within a day or two.
Cracks are the sneaky ones. A cracked tooth that is left alone can let bacteria reach the nerve, and a simple repair can turn into a root canal or an extraction. New patients can start with our $149 Emergency Exam & X-Ray, which shows what is broken and what it will take to fix it.
Plenty of busy adults have also put off care simply because getting away is hard. A tooth that has nagged for months, an old filling that feels rough, or a back molar that has finally given out are common reasons for a first call. Our dentists sort out the most urgent problem first, then build a plan for the rest so the next visits are predictable.
Wisdom teeth are another frequent concern for teenagers and young adults in town. Both doctors remove impacted and complex wisdom teeth in our office, and emergency extractions are often done the same day as the exam. That keeps the whole job close to home, without a separate surgical referral.
The Care Behind Your Search for a Dentist in Clinton, ME
Emergency Dentistry
Broken teeth, swelling and sudden pain get prompt attention. Dr. Guilbault trained at a Level I Trauma Center, so dental and facial injuries from work or sports are familiar ground.
Tooth Extractions
When a tooth cannot be saved, it comes out here in Winslow. Emergency extractions are often handled the same day, and our wisdom teeth removal covers impacted cases as well.
Root Canal Treatment
Deep decay or a crack that reaches the nerve does not always cost you the tooth. Clinton patients have two doctors here who clean out and seal infected roots, back molars included, then protect the tooth with a crown.
Dental Implants
An implant replaces a lost tooth with a sturdy root and crown. Cases are planned with Cone Beam CT 3D imaging and placed with a surgical guide, and bone grafting is done in the same office when needed.
Preventive Dentistry
Regular cleanings and exams catch cracks and decay while the fix is still small. An 8:00 AM slot means a checkup costs you very little of the working day.
Meet Your Winslow Dentists
Hospital training shapes how Dr. James Guilbault, DMD, handles urgent cases: his work at a Level I Trauma Center covered dental and facial trauma, infections and urgent care, and his interests include oral surgery and wisdom tooth extractions. Dr. Jeff Bue's procedures include emergency extractions, root canals and grafting, and he is known for a calm manner with nervous patients. Between the two of them, most problems that walk in the door can be treated without a referral.
Insurance, Membership & Financing
Most major dental insurance is accepted, from Delta Dental and Ameritas to Humana and United Healthcare. Adults without coverage can join our in-house Membership Plan for $36 a month, which includes exams, needed x-rays, two cleanings and one emergency exam a year, with 10% off other services. For larger work, Proceed Finance and Cherry let you pay over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Kennebec Dental Excellence from Clinton, and how do I get there?
From the Clinton Town Office we are about 8.4 miles away, usually a 15-minute drive. Follow Routes 11 and 100 south on Main Street and Bangor Road, bear right onto Neck Road, then take River Road, which becomes Benton Avenue, into Winslow. Patients who need a dentist in Clinton, ME will find our office on the right after Meadow View Lane.
Why does my tooth hurt only when I bite down?
Pain on biting is often a sign of a cracked tooth, a loose or broken filling, or inflammation at the root. A crack can spread with every chew, so it is worth having it checked within a few days rather than weeks. Digital x-rays and a close look with an intraoral camera usually show which tooth is the problem.
Can you pull a painful tooth on the day I come in?
Often, yes. Emergency extractions, including impacted wisdom teeth, are done right in our office and are often finished on the day of the exam. First we take x-rays to confirm the tooth cannot be saved, since a root canal may be an option. If extraction is the right call, you leave without waiting for a second appointment elsewhere.
How quickly should a swollen jaw or face be seen?
Swelling should be checked as soon as possible, ideally within hours. Facial swelling from a tooth usually means an infection that can spread, and swelling that affects breathing or swallowing needs an emergency room right away. Dr. Guilbault's hospital training covered odontogenic infections, so our dentists are used to treating the tooth that started the problem.
Does every wisdom tooth need to come out?
No. Wisdom teeth that come in straight, fully erupt and can be cleaned well may stay. Removal makes sense when a tooth is impacted, crowding its neighbors, decaying or causing repeated pain and swelling. X-rays, and 3D imaging when needed, show each tooth's position, and both of our dentists remove complex and impacted wisdom teeth in our office.
Schedule Your Visit from Clinton
For an early start with a dentist in Clinton, ME households can rely on, call (207) 288-7407 and ask for the first opening of the morning. You can see every community we serve on our Areas We Serve page, or visit the Dentist Winslow, ME homepage for more about the practice.