#1 Cause for School Absence

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Aug122007

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Sunday, August 12, 2007 at 04:05PM

Tooth decay affects more children than asthma or hay fever, and often parents put off the trip to the dentist, but it’s far from a bright idea.
Tooth decay is a major public health issue.
It's the No. 1 cause of school absences.
Tooth problems are the cause of school absences and schoolchildren illness and misery.
Illinois now requires screening to enter kindergarten, 2nd and 6th grade entry.
When children are in class, the pain from infection shortens attention span and the appearance of decaying teeth lowers self-esteem.
A mother, Mrs. Glenda Castrillo, whose daughter had missed school said,
"She didn't interact with other children because of the way her teeth looked. She wouldn't talk even to the teacher”.
Castillo said she saw the shyness in both of her girls.
"My oldest daughter had the same thing, and she wouldn't even smile for school pictures,"
she said.
A tight budget kept Glenda delaying getting her girls to a dentist until a school nurse got involved.
Hygiene is now a habit, along with regular check-ups. It’s a commitment that should be life-long as research in adults suggests links between poor oral health care and cardiovascular disease, low birth weight and diabetes.
"Both affect each other. So, oral health can make diabetes worse and diabetes can make oral health worse,"
The School Nurse said.
"If you don't have good oral health,
you can't have good overall health.”