There are many factors that affect a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school. Parents try to ensure that their children have all of the proper tools. However, some children may be handicapped by something that seldom occurs to parents or teachers – oral health issues.

Local and national health experts warn these problems have become a silent epidemic that is impacting children in schools all across Oklahoma and the country. According to experts with the OU College of Dentistry, poor oral health affects not only children’s health, but their ability to learn.

“A toothache, as we know, can be very painful. It can be very irritating and it can take your mind off the task at hand,” explained Kevin Haney, DDS of the OU College of Dentistry. “If you’re supposed to be studying for your math test and you’re not because your tooth is bothering you that is going to have an impact on your test score.”

Haney and fellow pediatric dental experts with the OU College of Dentistry point out poor oral health has been linked to decreased school performance, poor social relationships and less success later in life.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s office reports students between five and 17 years of age miss an estimated 51 million schools hours a year. That’s more than a million and a half school days missed because of dental-related illness.

“Let’s take a worst-case scenario of a child who has a lot of cavities in his mouth and he’s not brushing as well as he should,” Haney said. “If he is spending three or four appointments of one-to-two hours a piece at the dentist’s office, then that is three or four times he’s missing school work that’s just as important for his growth and development.”

Unfortunately, Haney added the early warning signs of dental problems may not always be obvious to a parent or teacher. In fact, some children have difficulty properly identifying the source of their pain. They may initially report they have an earache or a sore throat.

“That’s not to say that all throat problems are dentally-related,” Haney noted, “ and not all ear problems are dentally-related, but some can certainly present that way in a young child who may not be able to tell the difference.”

Other warning signs of dental problems in children include: rubbing the face, difficulty chewing, and complaining of pain when eating, especially when eating sweet or cold foods.

Dr. Haney stressed early detection of dental problems is important for a child’s overall health, well-being and for their ability to learn too. Of course, he added preventing problems before they begin is always best and that begins at home.

Proper brushing, flossing and regular cleanings are important for school-aged children, but pediatric dentists with the OU College of Dentistry say proper oral hygiene starts much earlier than that. In fact, it starts as soon as the first baby teeth come in.

They suggest that parents begin cleaning their infants’ baby teeth by gently wiping the teeth with a soft cloth. Then as the children get older, help teach them to brush properly. They stress it is important to remember, though, that most children aren’t able to brush their teeth well on their own until they are eight or nine-years-old.