Did you know that it is common for a child to miss school because of dental health problems? Many parents don’t realize the impact that oral health can have on their child’s education, and they neglect the dental health of their children. If you talk with a pediatric dentist in Encinitas, such as Carlsbad Children’s Dentistry, you will quickly understand how much dental health can impact a child’s education.

Missed School
Across the United States, children miss school every day because they have dental issues. In fact, the estimates show that 52 million hours of school are missed each year because of dental health problems. These missed hours can be anything from a child who is complaining about a toothache, to time that is needed to visit a dental office in order to fix an oral health problem, to accidents that happened which affected the child’s teeth.

Even though these might seem like legitimate excuses for a child to miss school, it is important for parents to understand how quickly those hours can add up. If your child is experiencing dental health problems, it is important that you schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist in Encinitas. Be sure to schedule the appointment as soon as possible, because the child will be able to get back to school more quickly as soon as they are out of pain.

Lack of Focus
Even if the child attends school despite a dental health problem, they will likely have a difficult time concentrating and learning because they will be focused on the pain or discomfort that they are feeling. Sometimes children will try to pretend like they are listening, or they may seem engaged in the lesson, but their mind is elsewhere. This lack of focus is more common when the child is distracted by pain or discomfort, such as a tooth that is bothering them.

Helping Your Child Focus
As a parent, there are two things that you can do to help your child focus and make sure they are ready to attend school without the distraction of a toothache. The first step is to take preventative measures to help the child maintain good dental health. Teach them about brushing and flossing their teeth, because these habits will help you to prevent dental issues, which in turn helps to prevent time away from school.

The second step that you should consider is to schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist in Encinitas. Even if your child is not complaining about dental pain, a regular checkup can help you to detect early signs of tooth decay or other oral health problems. When these early signs are detected, then preventative treatments can be used to stop a small problem from turning into a larger issue. Talk with your child about the importance of maintaining good dental health to help them establish good dental habits.

You can schedule an appointment for your child with Carlsbad Children’s Dentistry. Contact us by calling our office at: (760) 633-1131