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21st Century Dental

Preventive-first Wabash Avenue practice with Invisalign, custom mouth guards and an emergency lane

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(217) 403-9480WebsiteUpdated Sep 4, 2026

About 21st Century Dental

A cracked tooth rarely announces itself the way a cavity does. The giveaway is a sharp jolt when you release pressure on a bite rather than when you apply it, and the crack often does not show on a standard radiograph, because the fracture line can run in the same plane the X-ray beam travels. That is how a tooth hurts for months while every image looks normal. Caught early, a cracked molar is usually held together with a crown; left long enough, the crack reaches the pulp or splits the root and the tooth comes out instead.

21st Century Dental is a preventive-first general office on Wabash Avenue in Springfield, with Dr. Ashley M. Meyers, DMD and Dr. Thendral Ayanambakkam Pandurangan Began, DDS. Day-to-day work is cleanings and checkups, sealants, cosmetic dentistry and Invisalign, alongside a clear emergency lane covering cracked teeth, oral trauma and sudden pain. Custom mouth guards are made here as well, which matters if the household contains a contact-sport athlete or a night grinder. A guard does not stop clenching; it gives the habit something cheaper than enamel to wear through.

If a tooth is knocked out, keep it moist in milk or saliva, handle it by the crown rather than the root, and get to a dentist inside the hour — that window largely decides whether it can be reimplanted.

For aligner treatment, the figure that decides the price is the number of stages your case needs and whether refinement trays at the end are included or billed separately, not the brand on the box. A first appointment is an examination, radiographs and a plan you can take away and think about. Where a dental plan carries orthodontic benefit at all, it is normally a lifetime maximum rather than an annual percentage, so it is worth finding out what remains of yours before treatment starts.

Wabash Avenue puts the office in the busy west-side commercial corridor in 62704, easy from Veterans Parkway and the western subdivisions and a longer drive from the east end. The week starts early: 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and a Friday half-day closing at 1 p.m. There is no weekend cover, so a Friday afternoon problem becomes a Monday appointment unless it is urgent enough to justify a hospital emergency department.

21st Century Dental is a preventive-first general practice at 2308 Wabash Avenue in west Springfield, with Dr. Ashley Meyers and Dr. Thendral Ayanambakkam Pandurangan Began. Regular work is cleanings, checkups, sealants, sports and night guards, cosmetic dentistry and Invisalign, alongside an emergency lane for cracked teeth, sudden pain and oral trauma. Weekdays start at 7:30 a.m. on most days, Tuesday at 8:30, and Friday closes at 1 p.m. with no weekend cover.

Clinic Details

Best Known For

General Dentistry, Invisalign, Emergency Dentistry, Preventive Cleanings

Business Hours

Monday
7:30 AM4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM4:00 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM4:00 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM4:00 PM
Friday(Today)
7:30 AM1:00 PM
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

Frequently Asked Questions

What drives the price of Invisalign at this office?
Case complexity and the number of aligner stages, not the brand name. Mild crowding treated over a few months costs far less than a case that also corrects the bite across a year or more. Ask two things at the consultation: how many stages are planned, and whether refinement trays at the end are included or billed separately. Orthodontic insurance benefits are usually a lifetime maximum rather than a percentage.
How would I know whether a tooth is cracked?
The classic sign is a sharp pain when you let go of a bite rather than when you press down, usually on one specific tooth and often with cold sensitivity alongside it. Cracks frequently do not appear on a standard radiograph, so diagnosis relies on a bite test, magnification and sometimes a staining dye. Cracked teeth are part of the urgent workload at this office, and early treatment normally means a crown rather than an extraction.
What counts as a dental emergency worth calling about?
Pain that wakes you at night, facial swelling, a tooth knocked out or pushed out of position, a fracture that has exposed the nerve, or bleeding that will not stop. This office treats cracked teeth and oral trauma and keeps time for urgent cases, so ring as early in the day as you can. Swelling spreading toward the eye or throat, or any difficulty breathing, needs a hospital rather than a dental chair.

Location

Services Offered

Dental ImplantsBone GraftingOral SurgeryFull Mouth RehabilitationRoot Canal TreatmentEmergency DentistryInvisalignVeneersDentures

Reviews

756 reviews

Smyleee Rating reflects verified profile signals, reviews, and overall care quality.

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Recent Reviews

M
M***3 weeks ago
r
r***1 month ago

Was well taken care of.The staff is always friendly and make sure your comfortable with what's going on.The doc really cares and makes you feel right at home.which is hard to do at a dentist.

T
T***1 month ago
Y
Y***1 month ago

The care I get from 21st Century is absolutely amazing. Won’t trade my dental team for anything. I will recommend them all the time. Thanks so much for all you do.

S
S***1 month ago

Excellent experience. Everyone was kind, professional, and efficient.

D
D***2 months ago

I love all of my experiences with Ashley Meyers so far! She pulled all my teeth, and gave me a fantastic smile again! Such a friendly atmosphere, and everyone I’ve met, and that has worked with me, have gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable, and to make sure that I understood everything that was going on before, during, and after. All the follow ups, the calls to check on me, the spur of the moment adjustments… all done with a smile and friendly professionalism. Not to mention a good dash of humor here and there. I especially want to shout out to Journey! She has been my go to girl throughout this whole process, and I think she’s just the best! Just a great experience all around, for what could have been a very traumatic event. I highly recommend them to everyone asking.

D
D***2 months ago

Very understanding about my dislike of one of their tools to remove plaque. Had to use it to get the job accomplished. Also, my hyperactive gag reflex was in full play--helped me with that as well. I felt very reassured by their patience and caring demeanor. As a first time patient, I highly recommend this dental service.

R
R***3 months ago

The hygienist did a superb job cleaning my teeth and I was amazed when I got home to see how they looked in the mirror. The dentist has a great bed side manner and they were attentive to my TMJ issues and gentle during the cleaning. I can tell the staff genuinely cares about our communities’ dental health and wants the best for their patients.

R
R***4 months ago

Everything I have a visit the staff is professional, on time, friendly, helps to ease any of my anxiety, and walks through everything with equiste detail. Megan and Addie are super sweet and answer all of my questions with patience, understanding and kindness. Dr. Begans, has been my Debtist twice and she made sure to ask how I was feeling after seeing me the last time when I was suffering from a really bad tooth issue that resulted in a root canal. When that issue was occurring Carpline (such a sweetheart), called me to check in and see if anything was needed since my appointment was such a long ways out from when I went in to see what was wrong. I honestly cannot reccomend this office enough!

S
S***4 months ago

I took my 4 kids all at the same time. Ages ranged from 2-10 and they did a fantastic job making all the kids feel welcome, comfortable and at ease through all the procedures. The front desk was very helpful and our dental hygienists did a fantastic job. We are excited to come back.

Reviews are aggregated from public sources.

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