Children missing school due to dental problems

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Millions of hours of school time are being missed as a direct result of dental health problems, according to the U.S Surgeon General.

According to the Surgeon General, more than 50 million hours are missed as a direct result of children requiring medical attention for dental health issues, including tooth decay and gum disease. The vast majority of these cases could be prevented by good oral hygiene habits.

Family dentists across the country are reporting increasing rates of tooth decay and other dental health problems amongst young children; according to Dr Ahn Harper, from Ray Dental Group in Rapid City, children are not being educated about oral hygiene and their parents are not teaching them how to brush their teeth properly.

The Oral Health America survey confirms dentists’ fears; the results revealed that a significant proportion of children do not brush their teeth or a regular basis and only a small number visit their dentist for regular dental examinations. According to the survey, children are not being educated about oral health; only 19 percent of high school students said they had received educational information about oral health over the course of the last year.

Dentists are keen to put a stop to the increasingly serious epidemic of tooth decay and believe that education must begin at home. When children are very young, parents need to do their best to take care of their children’s teeth and gums but when they get a bit older they need to be encouraged to brush their teeth twice a day and limit the amount of sugary foods they eat. In order to encourage children to look after their teeth, it is important for parents and relatives to set a good example; children should also be taken to the dentist on a regular basis.

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