Periodontal Associates - Dental Implant Team

A+ if you Brush

It’s the start of a new school year here in the Denver - Aurora, area, and moms and kids alike are scrambling to wake up early, pack lunches, and eat their Wheaties.  However, Periodontal Associates wants to make you aware that there may be one important step being looked over in order for kids to reach their potential and make good grades. According to the American Journal of Public Health, kids can fall behind in school when suffering from poor oral health and dental disease as it can result in tooth pain.  Dr. Versman, Heller, and Beckman do not want this to happen to your children!

You may want to know how this connection was found. Well, exactly 1495 elementary and high school children in the Los Angeles Unified School District who were socioeconomically disadvantaged were examined by The University of Southern California (USC), and they matched their oral health status to their academic accomplishments and attendance. “On average, elementary children missed a total of six days per year, and high school children missed 2.6 days. For elementary students, 2.1 days of missed school were due to dental problems, and high school students missed 2.3 days due to dental issues,” Roseann Mulligan, chair of the Division of Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry says.

This study revealed that kids were almost 4 times more likely to have a low grade point average when they were experiencing toothaches. MOM & DAD, ARE YOU READING THIS! Unfortunately, since children in families with lower incomes are sometimes inaccessible to dental care, 11% of them miss school, unlike 4% of kids who do have access to a dentist like Dr. Versman, Heller, and Beckman. This would reflect in 58 -80 hours of school hours missed for every 100 children. Not to mention, parents miss about 2.5 days of work in order to care for their aching children.  This could be happening in Denver, CO, too!

Based on this study, they were able to conclude that oral health DOES in fact affect students’ academic performance. However, it would be beneficial to conduct further studies that separate the clinical, socioeconomic, and cultural challenges associated with this epidemic of dental disease in children as they are all intertwine and affect one another.

Periodontal Associates believes that good dental hygiene can increase you and your kids ability to be successful by preventing disease and enabling more time to do the things you love!  Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, and Dr. Beckman have a mission to prevent the need for dental implants and gum disease by better home care and regular maintenance visits.  As much as we love our patients, we rather educate them on the progression of gum disease and prevention rather than on the treatment of periodontal disease.

For more on the study, you can read it directly by clicking here. Otherwise, contact your favorite dental office in the Denver metro area, Periodontal Associates, to schedule a time for you and your children learn how to prevent bad grades by preventing dental disease. Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, and Dr. Beckman would be happy to see your kids and set them up for success. For an appointment, call us at (303) 755-4500 or simply click here to make to request an appointment online.