Poor oral hygiene in children may not only lead to toothaches but can also lead to poor performance in the school, according to a new study by researchers at University of Southern California's Ostrow School of Dentistry.
More than 1,500 children from the Los Angeles School District were observed by the researchers who found that those who complained of toothaches were four times more likely to score below 2.8 grade point average compared to those who did had no toothache.
"Our data indicates that for disadvantaged children there is an impact on students' academic performance due to dental problems. We recommend that oral health programs must be more integrated into other health, educational and social programs, especially those that are school-based", co-author of the study, Roseann Mulligan said.
The study has been published in the American Journal of Public Health.