Studies Link Good Oral Care and School Success

In a recently published review of 76 studies conducted across the globe, Canadian researchers found that untreated oral diesase is a major cause of missed school days and poor academic performance.  This echoed the findings of an earlier study of 1495 disadvantaged elementary and  high school students from Los Anglees County public schools.  Matching dental examination findings with acadmic achievement and attencance, the study revealed that students with toothaches were almost four times likely to have a low grade point average.

Studying 2,183 school children, researchers in North Carolina found kids with poor oral health were nearly three times more likely to miss school because of dental pain.  But while absences caused by pain were associated with poorer school perfomance, absences for routine care were not.

Resarchers found that interventions ranging from oral health education to diagnostic and preventive services helped to improve the oral health of the children and in return, their learning abilty at school. 

Dimensions of Dentel Hygiene