You probably know that it’s important to take care of a child’s baby teeth, but do you understand why? It’s a common question that patients have. “Why worry about a baby tooth if it’s eventually going to fall out?”
Well, for starters, baby teeth are around a little longer than you might think. Incisors (front teeth) fall out around age 5 or 6, while molars are last to fall out by 10 or 11. So while baby teeth aren’t permanent, it’s still important to have healthy, functioning teeth during this period. A baby tooth that’s lost before its time can cause permanent teeth to erupt out of position. This can be notoriously hard to correct with orthodontics, and can even sometimes causes the child’s face to develop asymmetrically. An appliance called a space maintainer may be placed to keep teeth from drifting and assure a more perfect future for that tooth to come.
As well as avoiding problems from missing teeth, proper oral hygiene learned during childhood is more likely to be continued throughout adulthood. So you really are setting a foundation for a lifetime of good oral health. Furthermore, one of the best ways to show your children the importance is to lead by example! Children notice everything parents do, so set a good example and take care of your own teeth as well!
Dr. Angela Burns moved to Austin 10 years ago and instantly fell in love with our beautiful city. Dr. Burns is originally from the Texarkana area. She attended Texas A&M for her undergraduate degree and The University of Tennessee Health Science Center for her degree in dental surgery (DDS). Dr. Burns is committed to providing her patients with gentle, technologically advanced dental treatment. She attends an average of 60 hours of continuing education every year. She is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the Texas Dental Association, and the Capital Area Dental Society. Dr. Burns and her husband, Gary, have an 11-year-old daughter, Sydney, who is a proud 6th grader at Hill Country Middle School. She is also very involved in the Eanes PTO, her church, and loves raising her family in the Westlake community. “Growing up, I was drawn to mediating and helping others feel more included and less anxious. I was a camp counselor, student government officer and being the oldest of five, I was the family mediator. I found that I had a calling to help alleviate stressful situations for others and realized that being a good listener was something that was key to this. These skills really helped guide me into becoming a dentist that has based my practice on relationships, empathy and a sense of comfort. I knew that I wanted to provide an atmosphere that felt like home when others walked in. Our practice is small, personal and state of the art and we hope you feel like you’re hanging out with friends when you are here!” When she is not practicing dentistry, Dr. Burns enjoys traveling, hiking the greenbelt, enjoying Austin’s music scene, and eating Amy’s Ice Cream.
