Against Tooth Damage
Let’s face it; kids, sports, and the typical teenage sense of invulnerability make a pretty risky combination. Once a tooth is cracked, broken—or worse, knocked out—there’s no going back. It’s for keeps.
If your child is involved in any sports activity (even a pickup basketball game) a well-fitting mouthguard is the least expensive, most effective insurance you can have.
There are three general types of mouthguard:
- Stock or Pre-formed. Inexpensive, yes. But one-size-fits-all usually means one-size-fits-nobody. And the mouthguard that sits unused is doing no good.
- Boil-and-bite. Usually available at sporting good stores and with a better fit than stock guards. But if the preparation steps aren’t followed correctly, you may not get a good fit.
- Custom-fitted at a dental office. The Gold Standard. Developed from a cast model of the wearer’s mouth, the fit is more precise—and more comfortable—than the alternatives. Result: they’re far more likely to be worn by the student-athlete routinely.
And isn’t that the entire point of having a mouthguard?
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.
