Healthy teeth can mean more than a great smile, they also can mean good grades, according to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation.
More than 51 million school hours are lost each year because of dental disease, according to NCOHF. Because many pediatric oral health issues occur in lower economic groups, the organization said, toothaches contribute to widening gaps in academic performance.
In addition, the organization said, more than 164 work hours are lost each year because of toothaches, and some of that loss of productivity is attributed to parents needing to take children to the dentist.
“As people prepare for the start of school, dental care is high on the list,” said Dr. Norm Poorman with Children’s Dentistry of Abilene. “Get the visit to the dentist in before the start of school.”
Poorman acknowledged that children often have ongoing dental issues that must be taken care of while school is in session, but he said parents should strive to minimize the amount of school a child misses.
Summer can be a particularly difficult time to monitor a child’s oral health because of travel and outdoor activities.
“Children are jumping on a trampoline or running around a pool and can have traumatic injuries to their teeth,” Poorman said.
Pediatric dental disease is a serious and common condition, according to the NCOHF, which described it as five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. Childhood tooth decay is the second most common disease behind the common cold, the organization said.
The NCOHF estimates that 25 percent of children ages 2-5 suffer from tooth decay and half of children ages 12-15 have tooth decay (90 percent of people older than 40 have tooth decay).
Left untreated, tooth decay can lead to malnutrition, bacterial infection, emergency surgery and, on rare occasion, death. Infection in an upper back tooth can spread to the sinus behind the eye. From there, it can enter the brain and result in fatality.
Poorman said the frustrating thing is that most tooth decay is preventable.
“Parents need to monitor their children’s dental health,” he said. “Communicate with them.”
He said parents should ensure that their children are brushing their teeth properly and take note if their children complain about a sensitivity to hot or cold foods — a warning sign of tooth decay.
“If you wait until a child is feeling pain, it’s too late,” he said. “There’s a problem.”
Children are not born with bacteria that causes tooth decay, according to the NCOHF. It is acquired through contact with other people or from diets that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates — foods that may be more accessible to children during the summer.
“I would suspect that children eat more nutritious foods during the school year,” Poorman said.
Although tooth decay is preventable, Poorman said it’s important for parents not to beat themselves up if their child gets a toothache.
Overall, Poorman said, he believes pediatric dental health is improving.
“I would say things are getting better,” he said. “There’s more access to care, and I know that’s a mixed bag. The state is concerned with children’s health, and that is a good thing.”
Originally found on Abilene Reporter-News.
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