A lot of times when families are struggling financially, dental visits tend to get put on the back burner. Preventative care is the cheapest way to ensure that your child has the best oral health possible, which means brushing and flossing daily and visiting the dentist for cleanings twice per year. If a cavity does appear, it is best to get it repaired as quickly as possible before it becomes worse, and therefore more painful and expensive. The pain of poor oral health can affect focus, and cause kids to not do as well as they could at school. It is important to discuss with your child’s dentist a plan of action to ensure that your child has the best chance at good oral health. Thanks for visiting us at Saddle Rock Pediatric Dentistry of Aurora, CO.

Researchers have discovered that oral health may significantly affect the academic performance of socio-economically disadvantaged boys and girls. They studied 1,495 elementary and high school children and found that those who reported dental problems were more likely to have lower grades and missed school more often because they had limited access to dental care.

Evaluating clinical dental exams, as well as academic achievements and attendance records, researchers from the University of Southern California’s Ostrow School of Dentistry observed that children with toothache were almost four times more likely to have a grade point average below 2.8.

According to Roseann Mulligan, chair of the school’s Division of Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry and author of the study, poor oral health not only seems to be associated with lower grades, but also appears to result in increased absence from school for children and more missed work hours for parents.

The study revealed that elementary school children missed a total of six days per year, with 2.1 days accounting for dental problems. High school children missed a total of 2.6 days per year and were absent for 2.3 days owing to dental issues. On average, parents of disadvantaged children missed 2.5 days of work per year to care for children with dental problems, Mulligan added. The researchers thus estimate that 58 and 80 school hours per 100 elementary and high school-aged children are missed each year, respectively.

Limited accessibility owing to a lack of insurance and transportation was identified as a major reason for missed school days, as about 11 percent of the children with limited access to dental care missed school for oral health reasons, compared with only four percent of those with greater access.

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