If you’re like most parents, you want your child to have a wonderful life. You want them to succeed and achieve great things, and that path often starts with a strong education and doing well academically. Several recent studies have found that children with poor oral health tend to have lower grades than those with healthy smiles. But what is the connection between academic performance and oral health? How can you give your child the best chances of excelling in school? Keep reading to find out!
How Oral Health Affects Academic Performance
Obviously, academic performance and learning are affected by many factors, but oral health is certainly one of them. When a child is experiencing dental pain or another problem, they miss valuable instruction time in the classroom to correct the problem. Or even if they are physically present during lessons, they endure pain and become distracted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children with untreated cavities can suffer in almost every area, including speech, social interactions, play, and learning.
On the other hand, children who have good oral health spend more time in the classroom receiving instruction and do not have to deal with tooth pain because of decay. As a result, they are in a better position to earn high grades.
Ways to Keep Your Child’s Smile Strong
Believe it or not, oral health is actually pretty simple to maintain. To prevent cavities and other problems, you need to do the following:
Daily Oral Hygiene
Make sure your child brushes twice and flosses at least once per day to prevent plaque buildup. Use fluoride toothpaste to reinforce their tooth enamel against decay.
Dental Visits
Visit your pediatric dentist on a regular basis (i.e., every six months) for checkups and cleanings. They can identify cavities early and help your child miss the least amount of class time possible.
Sugar Consumption
When packing lunches or snacks, limit the amount of sugar your kid has, including sports drinks and juice. Sugar encourages acid-producing bacteria to attack tooth enamel.
Water
Give them plenty of water to drink throughout the day. Not only will this help their mouth stay hydrated, but it will also rinse away bacteria and bits of food. Plus, most water is fluoridated, meaning it strengthens teeth.
In the end, taking care of their smile may not necessarily make your child an ivy-league scholar, but it enables them to be where they need to be and frees their mind to focus on school work rather than tooth pain. It’s worth the time and effort every day to give your child the chance to do anything they set their mind to!
About the Practice
At Glen Ellyn Pediatric Dentistry, we proudly have six pediatric dentists on our staff. With a focus on prevention and education, we take time to get to know each young patient, learn about their interests and goals, and then help them have a strong smile to help them get there! If your child is due for a checkup and cleaning, reach out to us and schedule the appointment online or by calling 630-858-8755.