With summer ending, you’re likely prepping your kids for the coming school year. That means buying textbooks, notebooks, and related supplies in most cases. However, there’s another way you could aid your child with future classes: gift them a back-to-school dental checkup. The reality is that school success and good oral health have a strong connection. If you’d like to learn why, your Canton dentist is happy to explain. Here’s a summary of how having good teeth can lead to good grades!
Oral Health Impacts Academics
At first glance, you might not think teeth would affect schoolwork. Truthfully, though, poor oral health is known to lower a child’s grades. Kids with dental issues (cavities, gum disease, etc.) struggle with exams, don’t learn much in the classroom, and sometimes skip classes.
The problem’s root cause is that oral conditions are distracting. In a 2012 Journal of Pediatrics study, researchers found that kids with dental issues don’t focus on school. Instead, they’re distracted by oral pain and thus fail in their coursework. Adding insult to injury, the pain also makes kids depressed and unmotivated to learn at all.
Want Good Grades? See a Dentist
To give your child a leg-up this Fall, have them attend a dental checkup. A visit with their dentist could boost their academic performance.
Remember: Professional oral care is (partly) designed to relieve oral pain. That much is natural, as it works to detect and fix one’s various mouth problems. Consequently, a dental checkup can give your child a healthy (and thus non-distracting) smile. This improved grin, in turn, would lead to better concentration at school.
Practice Better Oral Care at Home
If you don’t have time for a dental checkup, don’t worry; there are other ways to improve your child’s oral health. In particular, you could help them practice better oral care at home. Examples of such practice include:
- Stick to Good Oral Hygiene – Have your kids brush twice daily and floss at least once daily. By doing so, they’ll greatly reduce their risk of cavities, gum disease, and other issues.
- Follow a Mouth-Friendly Diet – To help them avoid tooth decay, limit your child’s sugar intake. Instead, have them eat meals (and snacks) filled with mouth-healthy nutrients. Food groups to consider are lean proteins, leafy greens, and dairy products.
- Get Involved – Read fun books about oral care habits to your child. If you do, they’ll likely take their oral health more seriously.
You can benefit from the connection between school success and good oral health. Just make sure your child sees a dentist and uses the tips above!
About the Practice
Robison Dental Group is based in Canton, MI. Led by Dr. J.D. Robison, our practice strives to give each patient top-tier dental care. We thus provide high-quality preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as emergency dental treatments. Our office also takes pride in being a certified provider of Invisalign® clear aligners, an advanced form of orthodontics. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (734)-453-6320.