Cavities are the most common childhood disease, and they can leave a larger impact than just oral hygiene. They can have implications for a child’s mental health and wellbeing. Moms are always making sure their child is healthy and well, but sometimes oral care can get missed. Routine brushing, flossing, and trips to the dentist are crucial to making sure that a child’s mouth is healthy. However, not everyone loves going to the dentist, and dental work can be costly and it may not be accessible for a lot of families, which means that oral care can sometimes be neglected in children.
All of these factors and more play a part in why cavities are the most common childhood disease. According to Business Wire and Financial Post, cavities can also lead to physical, emotional, social, and economic distress, showing that dental care is about much more than just pearly white teeth.
Cavities can lead to tooth pain for a child, and toothaches and pains can lead to worry, anxiety, and sadness in both children and their parents. Parents want to help their children, but there is only so much they can do to try and get rid of the pain. For anyone who has ever suffered from a toothache, they know that the pain can be excruciating.
The CDC has reported that an estimated 51 million school hours are lost every year due to dental problems in children, which can lead to academic negatives and falling behind. These are some of the reasons why research groups are calling for cavities to be seen as a public health crisis, and that things be changed to make this easier on children and their families.
The popular toothpaste and oral care brand, Colgate, conducted a survey of more than 20,000 parents across 12 counties to get a global look at how cavities are impacting children on a global scale.
- They found that 62% of children suffer from cavities.
- When they looked at the results from the US, they found that 30% of children with cavities feel worried
- 28% feel sad
- 24% feel anxious.
- They also found that 27% do not feel like they can smile freely
- 20% are not able to concentrate in school
They also found that the majority of these parents feel ashamed and embarrassed that their children have cavities. These findings show a direct link between cavities and a child’s wellbeing, and it is calling for this issue to be addressed.
Sources: Business Wire, Financial Post