Possible facial cellulitis requiring hospitalization
Possible systemic illness for children with special health care needs
The consequences of untreated dental caries on children’s overall health and well-being are substantial. Dental problems result in an estimated 51 million hours lost from school, costly emergency department visits, and hospital-based medical and surgical treatments. Poor oral health has been related to decreased school performance, poor social relationships, and less success later in life.
Children are often unable to verbalize their dental pain. Teachers may notice a child who is having difficulty attending to tasks or who is demonstrating the effects of pain—anxiety, fatigue, irritability, depression, and withdrawal from normal activities—but cannot understand these behaviors if they are not aware that the child has a dental problem.
Early tooth loss caused by dental decay can result in failure to thrive, impaired speech development, absence from and inability to concentrate in school, and reduced self-esteem. Children experiencing oral pain are easily distracted, unable to concentrate on schoolwork, and have problems with schoolwork completion. Children who take a test while they have a toothache are unlikely to score as well as children who are not distracted by pain. School deterioration and altered physical appearance caused by tooth loss or decay cause poor self-esteem.
Left untreated, the pain and infection caused by tooth decay can lead to problems in eating, speaking, and learning.
