The Secret to Getting Kids to Brush Their Teeth

Nighttime can be tough for parents, especially with smaller children who don’t like to brush their teeth. Getting your child to brush their teeth (and brush them well) can feel impossible, especially after a hard day. But, helping your kids brush their teeth doesn’t have to be a painful experience. Use these tips to make brushing fun.

Make it Musical
Kids love to sing and dance, and adding music to your bedtime routine can get them more enthusiastic about it. Since proper brushing takes two full minutes, try playing a song about that length and challenging your child to brush through the entire song.

Add Some Dental Trivia
Asking your child questions and rewarding them for correct answers can motivate them to brush their teeth without complaint. Questions like, “true or false, teeth have something called ‘enamel’ to protect them,” or “how often should we visit the dentist?” can both educate your child and get them excited about dental care.

Conduct Experiments
What tastes better, toothpaste #1 or toothpaste #2? Which do you like better, a standard toothbrush, or electric? Or, get even more dedicated to the possibilities with an eggs-periment. Eggshells react similarly to teeth when introduced to certain substances. For a real experiment, hard-boil a few eggs and put them in different liquids, including things like milk, water, and soda. Leave the eggs for a few hours, and when you return, see what affects the liquid has had on the egg (the soda-soaked egg should be soft and squishy). This also helps to reinforce the importance of brushing to keep our teeth healthy.

You can teach your child that brushing can be fun, and so can visiting the doctor. To schedule an appointment for your child with Dr. David Sudimack at Dental Associates, call us at 575-522-7320, or visit us in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

All About Same-Day Crowns

When you come into David Sudimack to restore a worn-down, broken, or even unattractive tooth, then your doctor, Dr. David Sudimack, might recommend a dental crown. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that replaces your tooth enamel and restores the health and function of your tooth. Traditionally, a dental crown is made in a dental lab over days, weeks, or months. Fortunately, our doctor and dental team are happy to offer same-day crowns with our CEREC® machine.

CEREC is a digital machine that designs and manufactures your dental crown. Your dentist will input information into the machine, the machine will take the information into account, and it will create the dental crown that fits perfectly over your tooth. This machine cannot only create dental crowns, but it can also create dental inlays, dental onlays, dental bridges, dental implant crowns, and more. Many people are grateful for CEREC because it can give them the strong, healthy tooth they want within a reasonable timeframe.

If you have any questions or if you would like to know more about same-day crowns in Las Cruces, New Mexico, please contact David Sudimack at 575-522-7320 when you get the chance. Our dental team is happy to help you in any way we can, and we look forward to your phone call!

A Dental Veneer May Benefit Your Cracked Tooth

If you are familiar with dental veneers, you probably know that these cosmetic shells bond to weakened or misshapen teeth to improve the health and appearance of your smile. Dental veneers are used for many reasons, including correcting crooked teeth, whitening your smile, and closing gaps between teeth. One important benefit of dental veneers is that they can cover a cracked tooth to enhance its strength and beauty. 

As you know, in order to keep a tooth strong and healthy, you should brush and floss daily. To maintain proper hygiene, brush for at least two minutes, two times a day, using a non-abrasive toothpaste so that your tooth enamel does not wear down. If you have tooth sensitivity, choose a toothpaste designed to strengthen sensitive teeth.

Once you receive your new dental veneers, you can protect it by using your teeth properly. For example, don’t open bottles with your mouth or chew on your fingernails or on ice or pens. Truthfully, you should abstain from these practices even if you don’t have veneers because they can damage your teeth. If you have dental veneers, these things can crack your veneers and you will need to receive replacement veneers. Similarly, you should limit your intake of sugary drinks and alcohol to avoid bringing harm to your dental veneers. 

To learn more about the benefits of dental veneers and how you should care for a veneer, please call David Sudimack at 575-522-7320 today.