Dozens of investigations indicate that dental caries is one of the first causes of poor school performance in children.

The Sorrow School of Dentistry, in Poland, recently conducted a study with almost 1,500 children in primary and secondary schools, comparing their academic achievements with those of children free of dental diseases, and found interesting figures. For example: boys with cavities were 4 times more likely to have poor performance on their grades than those with a healthy mouth.

This is logical because tooth decay can cause lack of concentration in class, due to the pain that occurs when eating food during breaks or breakfast. Also, it was observed that these problems were one of the main causes of absence in school.

Dental caries alters the chronology of eruption of the teeth, its correct position in the arch and damages the face of the piece. Thus, crooked and dark teeth result, affecting the child’s smile and physical appearance. This falls directly on their self-esteem and reduces the enthusiasm to attend classes.

Socioeconomic studies report a higher incidence of absenteeism in the classroom and poor school performance in areas of scarce resources, but this should not be a rule: oral health begins at home regardless of social or economic level.

In some countries, the focus is on the oral health of children, where governments organize campaigns to prevent dental diseases directly in schools.

Is a great relationship between dental diseases and school performance, but we cannot rule out the possibility that both come from a different source, such as the lack of time in the education of children by parents. Health and education are learned at home.