As a family dentist, we treat children and teens that suffer from poor oral health along with those that are trying to stay healthy. The Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC conducted research where they studied the impact of dental diseases and how it affected the academic performance of 1,495 disadvantaged elementary and high school students from Los Angeles County public schools. The study took into account the academic achievement and attendance data provided by the school district and linked these to each child's oral health issues. They then examined the impact it had on the child’s or parent’s school or work absences. The study found that students with toothaches were almost four times more likely to have a low-grade point average.
About 11% of students who did not have access to dental care missed school in comparison to 4% of those who did have access. For every 100 elementary children, fifty-eight hours of school are missed annually and for every 100 high school students, 80 hours of school are missed annually due to oral health problems. Even the parents of the children who were surveyed averaged 2.5 absent days from work each year because of their children's dental problems. Oral health does affect students' academic performance and is now considered an epidemic. There are however preventative measures parents can take to prevent their kids from suffering from painful dental infections and missing school.
As a family dentist, we teach children and parents how to practice good oral health care at home so that cavities and gum disease can be prevented. As long as parents implement a daily routine at home, kids can keep their teeth and gums healthy. We also recommend visiting our office for regular checkups, which will reduce the amount of health problems kids have overall and prevent them from unnecessarily missing school. Preventative dental care is the key in keeping children and teenagers healthy and in school, and simple steps such as brushing and flossing daily can help to accomplish this.
It should be noted that everyone should brush and floss correctly and thoroughly, brushing at least twice a day if not after every meal and flossing at least once a day. Doing this removes plaque, which can turn the sugars found in most foods and drinks into acids that lead to decay, cavities, gingivitis and other dental diseases. Another simple step that could help is using a toothpaste or mouthwash with fluoride in them since fluoride is what protects teeth from decay. If a stronger concentration of fluoride is needed, we can prescribe fluoride in the form of a gel, toothpaste or rinse.
Eating a balanced diet is also key in keeping with good oral hygiene and parents limiting the amount of snacks their children eat, particularly those high in simple sugars, is extremely beneficial to combating tooth decay. Healthy foods like dairy products and green leafy vegetables can actually help to strengthen teeth.
Even if your child visits our family dentist office regularly, children still need to have good habits at home. Parents should examine their child’s mouth weekly to look for changes that might be of concern, for example, swollen gums, discolored teeth, sores or lesions on or around the gums and chipped teeth. If anything looks out of place, schedule an appointment with our office right away.
