We, as parents, want the best for our kids. To be healthy and to do well at school. How do we ensure that they do their best? There are many areas of health that have an impact on academic performance, such as:
- Kid’s mental health: Emotional and psychological health are major components of learning for our kids.
- Proper nutrition: A Proper and balanced diet with all the necessary nutrients promotes development, memory, attention, etc.
- Regular physical activity: Regular exercise and physical activity improve mood, body blood circulation, and memory and cognition.
- Good sleep hygiene: Sleep helps children consolidate what they have learned. It also improves attention and mood.
- Healthy ways of living: Actions such as limiting television and computer screen time for children, ongoing movement (activity), or staying away from drugs boost energy and mental clarity.
- Good emotional well-being: Children should be able to deal with stress, be positive, and get on well with other people, which will improve their school performance.
- Evenly balanced social well-being: Positive friendships, family relationships, and teacher relationships provide a rich learning environment in which children feel secure and happy.
When we think about children’s academic performance, we typically refer to all of these factors. Yet oral health in children is not always taken into account when measuring academic performance.
But could there be a link between oral health and academic performance?
In this article, learn about prevalent oral health issues among children, recent findings, and experts’ views that relate to focus and school attendance with untreated dental issues, and how the dental issues impact school performance.
Common oral health issues among children
First, let us discuss the most common oral health issues prevalent among children. Some of the common oral health issues that children endure that are likely related to school performance are:
- Cavities: Tooth decay, also called dental caries or cavities, is the most prevalent dental problem in children. It is estimated that a large percentage of children suffer from cavities, mainly due to poor hygiene and high-sugar diets.
- Toothaches: A significant number of children in the United States also experience toothaches. This pain may be caused by cavities or other oral issues.
- Gum disease: Gum disease is not a disease that only adults can get, contrary to popular belief. Children can develop gingivitis or serious gum problems due to poor hygiene.
- Malocclusion: Misaligned teeth or jaws can impair chewing, speech, and oral function.
- Oral habits: Some habits such as thumb sucking or mouth breathing can lead to misaligned teeth or speech difficulties.
Evidence linking oral health to academic performance
Multiple studies have revealed an association between these dental problems in children and diminished academic outcomes.
Mechanisms by which oral health affects academic performance
How do oral problems affect academic performance?
Some proven mechanisms by which academics are affected by oral problems include:
- Pain: Dental pain causes absenteeism from school and difficulty concentrating or participating in class
- Discomfort: The discomfort caused by dental problems also causes concentration problems, lowering academic achievement.
- Missing school: Children with poor oral health are more likely to miss school because of dental problems.
- Sleep problems: Sleep disturbances interfere with children’s sleep. Fatigue from not getting enough rest also leads to lower grades and lower participation.
- Social or psychological effects: If dental problems are too visible, children may suffer from bullying or social withdrawal, which significantly impacts their school performance and social life.
Many studies have shown a strong association between dental caries and lower school performance.
Mouth breathing and cognitive skills
Mouth breathing is one of the least known factors affecting children’s cognitive skills. Evidence shows how it affects children:
- Oxygen deprivation for the brain: Oxygen saturation for the brain decreases when breathing through the mouth compared to nasal breathing. Low oxygen levels affect key learning and memory regions.
- Sleep disruption: Generally, children who breathe through their mouths have problems sleeping due to airway obstruction and snoring. This causes daytime fatigue and sleepiness, as well as less memory consolidation.
- Academic performance deficits: Some studies compare children who breathe through the mouth with children who breathe through the nose, showing that mouth breathers have more academic challenges.
Additionally, oral muscles may be less developed in mouth-breathing children, creating improper tongue placement. This can affect pronunciation and speech.
Socioeconomic and demographic considerations
Regardless of income, sex, age, or insurance status, children with oral health problems are more likely (between 40 and 50 percent) to have problems in school or miss school days.
However, by age, the greatest impact is on children between 12 and 14 years of age. Disparities in dental care can exacerbate dental situations, especially if there are children who do not have access to a dentist on a regular basis.
Interestingly, preventive dental care can help keep most children from having dental problems and decrease their difficulties in school.
Integrated approaches to solve this situation
There is strong evidence linking oral health to academic outcomes. However, we do little in preventive health to improve the dental status of children of all ages.
Early dental screenings in schools and community health programs can identify children at risk. Educators and policymakers need to incorporate oral health into measures to improve learning outcomes, which will improve academic performance.
Prevent oral issues and improve academic performance
As parents, there is much we can do. From avoiding unhealthy habits when children are young to scheduling regular dental visits to monitor dental problems.
Dental education depends on families, policymakers, dentists, and teachers. It is possible for all of us to improve children’s dental health and academic outcomes. Children’s health should be a comprehensive, collaborative, and community-based endeavor.
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