Children's Dental Disease And The Domino Effect

Poor oral health , dental disease , and tooth pain can put children at a serious disadvantage in school according to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health . The study examined nearly 1,500 socioeconomically disadvantaged elementary and high school children in the Los Angeles School District , matching their oral health status to their academic achievement and attendance records. The study found that children who reported having recent tooth pain were 4 times more likely to have a lower grade point average when compared to children without oral pain . Also poor oral health seem to cause more absences from school for children and more missed work for their parents .