Abstract
AIM: To investigate evidence of associations between oral health status of children and adolescents and their school performance and lost school days due to dental problems. METHODS: PubMed electronic database was searched for scientific papers published between 1990 and 2013. Twenty-one papers that attempted to investigate the impact of oral health on school performance and lost school days were retrieved. Brief descriptions of each study's methodology and outcomes were presented and discussed. RESULTS: Although the papers reported statistically significant associations between school performance or lost school days and oral health conditions of schoolchildren, all of them were cross-sectional and ecological studies with an observational design, which may not provide full information about causes and effects. In addition, the lack of standardized criteria did not allow comparisons among the studies retrieved in the search. CONCLUSIONS: Oral diseases appear to impact on lost school days and school performance of children and policy-makers should address this issue when planning health promotion interventions in school settings. However, standardized materials and methodologies as well as longitudinal studies using valid and reliable criteria are needed to confirm the causes or risks of oral health factors in school performance, generating hypotheses for future research and providing important data for determining effective actions in school health programs.
Highlights
In 1948, the World Health Organization defined health as being “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”[1]
Considering the importance of this issue in planning health promotion activities in schools, the objectives of this study were to investigate the pieces of evidence and discuss the methods and results of studies that assessed the existence of associations between oral health status of children and adolescents, their school performance and lost school days due to dental problems
The studies were screened according to the inclusion criteria: (1) research papers, (2) publications related to oral health, school performance and/or lost school days due to dental problems, (3) English-language papers
Summary
In 1948, the World Health Organization defined health as being “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”[1]. Oral health is considered an integral element of general health and well being because it enables individuals to eat, communicate and socialize with others[2]. Oral health is considered a mirror of general health and the mouth is a portal for infectious organisms to enter the whole organism[2]. According to Sheiham3 “the compartmentalization involved in viewing the mouth separately from the rest of the body must cease because oral health affects general health”. Several studies have investigated the effect of chronic diseases[7], such as asthma[8], allergic rhinitis[9], inflammatory demyelination of the central nervous system[10] and diabetes[11] on school performance
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
