Should My Child Wear a Mouthguard?

If your child plays a contact sport such as hockey, football, wrestling, or basketball, they should wear a mouthguard to protect their teeth during play. Imagine if your child suddenly had a tooth knocked out. Smiling, talking, and eating would suddenly be affected. At Top Choice Dental, we provide pediatric patients with custom-made mouthguards to help prevent against dental injuries so you don’t have to worry.

Wearing a mouthguard helps prevent injuries such as lacerations to the cheeks, tongue and lips. Though many mouthguards are available in any sporting goods store, a custom-fitted mouthguard offers the best level of comfort, because it is made for your child’s mouth and his or her mouth only. At Top Choice Dental, our custom made night guards are created with thin plastic that is hardened to protect your teeth. The thinness allows for easy breathing and easy communication so that you can maintain the highest level of performance on the field or the court.

If you believe your child will benefit from a mouthguard, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.hoptowndental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Greg Fort at Top Choice Dental in Hopkinsville, KY, call 270-886-8585.

Causes of Tooth Sensitivity

Does sipping on a hot or cold beverage send a sharp shooting pain into your tooth’s nerve? If you’ve answered yes, then you’ve likely developed tooth sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity occurs when the enamel that protects our teeth gets thinner, or when gum recession occurs, exposing the underlying surface called the dentin, thus reducing the protection the enamel and gums provide to the tooth and root. At Top Choice Dental, the treatment for your sensitive teeth will depend on the cause.

If you brush your teeth too hard or use a hard-bristled toothbrush, you may be setting yourself up for disaster. This method of brushing can wear down enamel and expose the dentin, causing you pain. Also, tooth decay, teeth grinding, and gum disease are also culprits of tooth sensitivity. The best way to control the sensitive situation in addition to scheduling regular dental checkups is by practicing and maintaining a proper oral hygiene routine.  

If you suffer from sensitive teeth, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.hoptowndental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Greg Fort at Top Choice Dental in Hopkinsville, KY, call 270-886-8585.

Cavity Basics

There’s a lot going on in your mouth throughout the day. One event that is occurring consists of bacteria swimming around and constantly building up on teeth in the form of a sticky film called plaque. When this plaque stays on your teeth it creates acid attacks on the enamel and creates holes called cavities. In order to prevent plaque buildup and cavities, you should schedule regular dental checkups at Top Choice Dental at least twice a year.

Many people think that only children get cavities, but changes in your mouth as you age make them an adult problem, too. As you get older, your gums pull away from your teeth and expose the roots of your teeth to plaque. If your diet is high in sugar and carbohydrates, you are the top candidate for cavities. If you’ve had a cavity for a while, you may develop a toothache. However, sometimes cavities don’t cause any pain. Dr. Greg Fort will find your cavities during a dental checkup. Treatment depends on how bad the cavity is.

If you suspect you have a cavity, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.hoptowndental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Greg Fort at Top Choice Dental in Hopkinsville, KY, call 270-886-8585.

Do You Need a Night Guard?

Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, is a condition in which you clench and grind your teeth. If you grind your teeth unconsciously during the day you may eventually suffer from worn tooth enamel, teeth that are flattened, fractured, chipped or loose, as well as tired or tight jaw muscles. If you already experience one of the following, then it’s time to talk to Dr. Greg Fort at Top Choice Dental about receiving a night guard.

The night guard, which is very similar to a mouth guard worn by athletes, provides a barrier between your top and bottom teeth while you sleep. Here at Top Choice Dental, all of our night guards are custom-fitted for comfort and to allow for proper breathing. The biggest benefit you’ll receive from a night guard is the protection it will provide for your tooth enamel. Teeth grinding is a common issue, but you shouldn’t have to suffer.

If you find yourself waking up with jaw pain, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about night guards as well as other services we provide at the practice, visit www.hoptowndental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Greg Fort at Top Choice Dental in Hopkinsville, KY, call 270-886-8585.

Seal out Cavities with Sealants

While brushing and flossing help to remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth, toothbrush bristles often can’t reach into the teeth’s depressions and grooves. Plaque is constantly forming in our mouths from the food that we eat and when it lingers in these grooves it can lead to cavities. A dental sealant is a thin, plastic coating that is painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth – usually the back molars – to prevent tooth decay. At Top Choice Dental we can apply sealants in just one appointment and they can last up to 10 years.

Back molars are the teeth that are most vulnerable to cavities and decay because they are used in the chewing process, and are the most difficult to reach and clean. Typically, children should get sealants because of their likelihood of developing decay in the depressions and grooves of their premolars and molars. However, adults without decay or fillings in their molars can benefit from sealants as well.

If you find yourself suffering from tooth sensitivity, please give us a call. To learn more about sealants as well as other services we provide at the practice, visit www.hoptowndental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Greg Fort at Top Choice Dental in Hopkinsville, KY, call 270-886-8585.

Don’t Let Plaque Pester You

If you’ve ever felt a fuzzy buildup on your teeth while licking them with your tongue, that pesky buildup is called plaque. Plaque contains bacteria, which following a meal or snack containing sugar can release acids that attack tooth enamel, eventually contributing to tooth decay and gum disease when left untreated. Plaque that is not removed with thorough daily brushing and flossing can eventually harden into tartar. When tartar accumulates, only our staff of hygienists at Top Choice Dental can remove it.

Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria that constantly forms on our teeth and along the gum line. Plaque that is not removed from around the gum line can cause inflammation and irritation to the gums around your teeth. Red, puffy or bleeding gums can be the first signs of gum disease and if not treated, the tissues holding the teeth in place are destroyed and the teeth are eventually lost. In addition to practicing a proper oral hygiene routine, it is important to schedule professional cleanings twice a year to prevent plaque from getting worse.

If you have plaque buildup and are due for a dental checkup, please give us a call. To learn more about dental health as well as services we provide at the practice, visit www.hoptowndental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Greg Fort at Top Choice Dental in Hopkinsville, KY, call 270-886-8585.

What is a Snap-On Smile?

If you’ve ever desired a smile makeover, then Snap-On Smile might be the right product for you. At Top Choice Dental we realize that not everyone can afford thousands of dollars to get a Hollywood smile, which is why we offer this patented, easy and painless way to obtain one. The key is that it works exactly like it sounds. We create a new set of “teeth” that are placed over your current teeth, giving you a beautiful new smile in just two quick and painless visits to our office.

No drilling, no extractions, no whitening chemicals are necessary and Snap-On Smile is a great option for patients with stained, chipped, cracked, crooked, or missing teeth. During your first visit, you will pick the shade and style of your smile. We will then take an impression of your teeth so the Snap-On Smile can be properly fitted. It is then made with a light, durable resin to create a strong, yet thin, set of snap teeth. In about three weeks you will return for your next visit where your new smile will be waiting. 

If you are missing teeth, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about Snap-On Smile as well as other services we provide at the practice, visit www.hoptowndental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Greg Fort at Top Choice Dental in Hopkinsville, KY, call 270-886-8585.