Departments: Health
Bad Teeth: A Bite Out of Learning

Oral health problems last year caused students to lose 52 million hours of classroom time. Dushanka Kleinman, the deputy director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health, recently explained how oral health impacts learning in an interview with Da'aiyah Bilal of NEA's Health Information Network.

The surgeon general has made oral health a priority concern. Why has this become such a hot topic?
Children miss 52 million hours of school each year due to oral health problems. About 12.5 million days of restricted activity, every year, result from dental symptoms or treatment visits.

Studies have shown a link between oral disease and low birth weight, cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections, and diabetes. And tooth decay is five times more common than asthma.

Knowing all this, wouldn't you make it a priority to find out more if you were the Surgeon General?

What's the latest on what causes cavities--and how to prevent them?
Dental caries, or tooth decay, is an infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus mutans. Caries is transmitted directly, from person to person. Typically, caries is transmitted from an adult mother to child--think about times when you have seen people taste a child's food before feeding it to the child.

In very basic terms, the bacteria thrive on sugar and form acid that eats away at the tooth enamel, causing cavities.

If a cavity goes untreated, it can spread to the pulp of the tooth, causing inflammation and an abscess at the root. Eventually, this process ends in tooth extraction.

Cavities can be prevented with sealants. But a great deal of research is now being generated to find out about different modes of transmission. For instance, pregnant mothers with periodontal disease are having their teeth cleaned to see what the connection is between dental caries and low birth weight.

How does poor oral health affect a student's learning or performance?
The first thing that comes to my mind is pain. Pain from oral disease will keep students from learning. Any kind of pain or discomfort around the head would distract a child from learning.

Pain and swelling are both symptoms of severe disease. Sadly, these severe cases are prevalent in classrooms, especially in low-income areas.

More than three-fourths of tooth decay in permanent teeth is found in only one-fourth of children between the ages of 5 and 17. African American children exhibit twice as much decay as white children. Black and Mexican American children are also three times less likely than whites to have sealants in their permanent teeth.

What can educators do to improve students' oral health?
It's important to improve the health literacy of educators, parents, and students about basic issues like hygiene and risky behavior.

Unlike taking care of your ears, for instance, caring for the mouth takes daily attention, as well as access to professional care and the ability to receive care in a timely manner.

One particularly important thing to remember: This disease is preventable. Prevention means self-care, fluoride, and sealants.

Schools can also boost prevention by considering what's in the vending machines they have on site. Vending machines can contribute to a wide range of health problems. I realize that these machines are income-generators for schools, but changing some of their contents could make a difference.

Other strategies are also important. At Washington Heights Junior High, in New York City, an emergency dental clinic in the school is helping keep kids in the classroom. Connecticut is trying to implement some statewide treatment and prevention programs.

Communities are also launching broad-based education efforts--talking, for instance, about fluoride in low-income areas where people may not have access to adequate sources of fluoride.

Finally, educators can help by correcting misconceptions. For example, oral health has been considered a luxury, not a necessity. People don't think oral health has any serious effect on overall health.

You hear people constantly say things like, "Oh, they're just baby teeth, they'll fall out anyway." They don't realize that if you have dental caries early in childhood, you have a good predictor of future decay.

Health Resources

• Entertaining classroom activities that promote good oral health can be found on the American Dental Association's Web site at www.ada.org. Visit the Kid's Corner and find coloring sheets, games, and a calendar that reminds kids to floss each day--all can be printed right off the Web site. Children's dental health materials and other educational aides to hand out can be ordered online or by calling 800/947-4746.

• Visit the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research's Web site at www.nidcr.nih.gov for the latest news related to oral health topics. This comprehensive site features the surgeon general's oral health report and conference scheduled for June. The site also includes a variety of quick factoids about pediatric oral health on the Kids-Byte page.

• With millions of children in the United States now without health insurance, the U.S. Department of Education has launched the Insure Kids Now! Through Schools Campaign to encourage schools and communities to work together to enroll children in health insurance programs. For a list of community dental benefits resources in your state, call 877/KIDS-NOW. To find out how schools can help kids sign up for free and reduced-price health coverage, call 800/USA-LEARN or visit www.ed.gov/chip.

From the NEA Health Information Network

• Can We Talk?
  The NEA Health Information Network has introduced a new Web site corresponding to the Network's highly praised Can We Talk? program.

  Can We Talk? is a series of four workshops designed to teach parents how to better communicate with their children about sexuality and healthy relationships.

  The new Web site uses the whimsical Can We Talk? cartoons to offer an overview of the program. Posted online are technical assistance for communities interested in implementing Can We Talk? and profiles of program sites across the nation.

  Additional resources related to parenting, evaluation information, and ordering of Can We Talk? materials are online, too.

  It's all at www.canwetalk.org.

• Kick Butts Day
  April 5, 2000 is Kick Butts Day. You can encourage students to become advocates by standing up to tobacco and fighting against youth tobacco use. To request a free activity guide, visit the Web at www.kickbuttsday.org.

• Award Nominations
  The NEA Health Information Network is now accepting nominations for the 2000 Vivian Roy Bowser Cancer Education Award. NEA members can apply themselves or nominate an outstanding person working to educate others in their community about cancer.

  All applications will be judged on several key criteria, ranging from involvement in local, state, or national cancer education, support, or advocacy groups to involvement in activities that directly affect NEA members or other school employees.

  Judges will also be looking for applications that show work with minorities or underserved women, and they'll want to know, as well, how the nominee has been personally affected by cancer (Is the nominee a cancer survivor, or family or friend of someone who has died of cancer?).

  NEA members can call 800/718-8387 for a nomination form or fill out a form online at www.neahin.org.

  The deadline for nominations is September 1.