Impact of Dental Pain on Academic Children

There are still many children who pay less attention to oral health. In fact, oral health in children's lives has an impact on their academic potential and self-confidence.

Why is that so? Several studies in eight countries prove this. The Pepsodent global survey in Chile, Egypt, France, Italy, Indonesia, the United States, Ghana, and Vietnam in 2018 shows the link between dental health and children's academic achievement.

The survey involved 4,094 children aged six to 17 years and their parents. In Indonesia, a survey was conducted on 506 children. The main results of the survey showed that many children complained of toothache over the past year, which was 64 percent. As many as 41 percent stated, the intensity of the pain between moderate to severe.

"This problem turned out to cause them to have many difficulties in school, both in achieving academic achievement and socializing," said Division Head for Health & Wellbeing and Professional Institutions of Unilever Indonesia Foundation Drg Ratu Mirah Afifa GCClinDent MDSc in Jakarta, some time ago.

As a result of toothache, 37 percent of children claimed to be absent from school with an average absence of two days per child in a year. Pain also caused 29 percent of children to experience sleep disturbances, so they had to go to school in a state of drowsiness.

Most of them also have difficulty concentrating and cannot be active in various school activities that make them unable to absorb the subject matter. "Children who have problems with teeth and mouth tend to be twice as susceptible to experiencing a crisis of self-confidence, difficulty socializing, even refusing to show their smile than children who have healthy teeth and mouth," Mirah said.

According to the child psychologist and the Ayoe Sutomo family, in finding children's confidence, there are several components that support each other. Among other things, feeling comfortable with oneself that creates positive feelings and makes oneself feel valuable (self-esteem).

Healthy living habits, including dental health care, said Ayoe, including things that support children to have good self-esteem. With this habit, children get positive feedback from the environment that makes them feel comfortable. "At present, children are not only required to have academic intelligence, but also interpersonal intelligence. Of course, both of them need high confidence."

Children who have low self-esteem tend to be pessimistic individuals. In fact, an optimistic attitude and courage to face challenges are needed by each individual to move forward. This sense of accomplishment ultimately increases children's self-esteem.

This global survey also highlights the role of parents in getting children to maintain dental health from an early age. Although 90 percent of the parents involved in the survey claimed their children had brushed their teeth twice a day, 24 percent allowed their children to brush their teeth at night.

In fact, 21 percent made it as a form of reward or gift. Not to mention, 79 percent of parents also mentioned they had just invited children to visit the dentist when the problem had arisen, not as a routine visit every six months. This causes children to be more vulnerable to toothache.

This impact can be seen in the results of the 2018 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas). Dr. Dr. RM Sri Hananto Seno SpBM (K) MM as Chair of the Indonesian Dentist Association (PDGI) explained that currently dental cavities are still a major problem in dental health. and child's mouth. Moreover, only 2.8 percent of children aged three years and over brush their teeth twice a day.

He said, as many as 90.2 percent of five-year-old children had a hole tooth problem with the DMF-T index or an index to assess dental and oral health in terms of permanent dental caries of 8.1. Children aged 12 years and over as much as 72 percent with cavities with a DMF-T index of 1.9. "In adulthood (35 to 44 years) worse, as much as 92.2 per cent have problems with cavities with an index of 6.9," Seno said.

Other data also said, of the 57.6 per cent of the Indonesian population who admitted having dental and oral health problems, only 10.2 percent received medical services. All of these facts indicate dental health care and dental visits have not become routine habits. "Education to maintain dental health conditions still has to be encouraged," he said.

Another survey was carried out by the FDI World Dental Federation in early 2019 in 13 countries, including Indonesia. As a result, 78 percent of parents in Indonesia stated that school is the right place for children to get dental and oral health education. That is why school program activities are a strategic step because parents still rely on schools to educate children for dental and oral health.

Source: Republika / Dewi Data Center

Tweet