There's an important group working to advance the state of children's oral health. In addition to doing legislative work and providing representation for children in Congress, the Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) also provides valuable resources for practitioners and the general public.
We took a look at their report titled The State of Dental Health and thought we'd share some of their interesting findings in this week's blog post. Check out these quick facts from The State of Dental Health:
Tooth Decay Can Affect Academic Performance for Kids
According to CDHP, children that reported painful toothaches were four times more likely to have lower grades than their fellow classmates that had no dental pain.
Poor Oral Health Contributes to a Large Number of School Absences
CDHP looked at a study conducted in Los Angeles on children's oral health. The study found that dental health issues were the root cause of almost a third of all absences among those surveyed. This was especially true for children from economically vulnerable households.
Despite Huge Advancements in Access and Technology, Poor Oral Health is Still Too Common
Comparatively, oral health care for children is world's better than it was even a hundred years ago. With that said, however, too many children are experiencing tooth decay and oral health complications. In fact, CDHP looked at a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found about 1 in 7 children ages 6-12 had experienced a toothache within the last 6 months. This is the result of many factors including access to care, diet, and insufficient prevention routines.
Having Cavities as a Kid Increases Your Risk of Cavities as You Age
CHDP found that children who developed cavities in their baby teeth were 3 times more likely to develop cavities in their permanent teeth. Keep this in mind if you need more reinforcement to reassure you that prevention pays off when it comes to dental health.
Your Child has about a 25% Chance of Developing Tooth Decay by Age 5
Nearly 1 in 4 children will experience tooth decay by their fifth birthday. In fact, more kids suffer from tooth decay than any other chronic condition. Again, despite all the advances thus far, this statistic is too high for the comfort of these dentists. Let's all work to reduce this number and keep our kids healthy!
Thanks for Reading!
We hope these facts help you keep the importance of your child's oral health at the forefront of your mind. Tooth decay can cause havoc in a kid's life in so many different ways. If you enjoy our blog, please like or share our Facebook page and help us spread the message.