Dental caries affects body weight, growth and quality of life in pre-school children
Open accessAbstract
The effect of a relatively common chronic disease, severe dental caries, affects young childrens' growth and well-being. Treating dental caries in pre-school children would increase growth rates and the quality of life of millions of children. Severe untreated dental caries is common in pre-school children in many countries. Children with severe caries weighed less than controls, and after treatment of decayed teeth there was more rapid weight gain and improvements in their quality of life. This may be due to dietary intake improving because pain affected the quantity and variety of food eaten, and second, chronic inflammation from caries related pulpitis and abscesses is known to suppress growth through a metabolic pathway and to reduce haemoglobin as a result of depressed erythrocyte production.
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Hygiene activities such as bathing and brushing teeth directly affect children's health by preventing illness and disease.
“Hygiene-related activities such as bathing and brushing teeth have direct effects on children's health by preventing illness and disease”
From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [96]
The Abstract (page unavailable) says untreated dental caries can harm children's health and that preventing caries would be preferable to treating it. It does not discuss bathing or toothbrushing, or establish that those activities directly prevent illness and disease. (LLM, conf=0.79)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredStudies have shown that health-related quality of life is higher among children with regular dental hygiene and healthy teeth, both in preschool and later development.
“studies have shown that health-related quality of life is higher among children who engage in regular dental hygiene and who have healthy teeth, both during the preschool years and during later development”
From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [96]
The supplied passage labeled Abstract reports significantly poorer oral health-related quality of life among preschool children with untreated early childhood caries than among children without it. It does not establish that regular dental hygiene is associated with higher quality of life, or that the quality-of-life difference persists during later development. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPracticing regular oral hygiene from an early age is critical for supporting child health.
“practicing regular oral hygiene from an early age is critical for supporting child health”
From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [96]
The paper says that preventing caries is preferable to treating it and that untreated caries can harm preschool children’s growth and well-being (Abstract; page not available). It does not specifically address regular oral hygiene practices or establish that beginning them early supports child health. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredStudies of children and adolescents suggest that dental problems contribute to school absences and thereby to academic achievement.
“studies of children and adolescents suggest that dental problems contribute to school absences and, in turn, to academic achievement”
From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [96]
The Abstract links high caries levels to school absence and diminished ability to learn, and reports parents’ perceptions of improved school performance after treatment. It focuses on young children rather than adolescents and does not establish that absences are the pathway by which dental problems affect academic achievement. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredOral hygiene likely affects sleep indirectly by preventing dental caries and related oral pain, since untreated dental caries are associated with pain-related sleep disruption.
“Oral hygiene likely has an indirect effect on sleep through the prevention of dental caries and related oral pain, as studies have shown that untreated dental caries are associated with pain-related sleep disruption”
From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [96]
Dental caries in early childhood can inhibit weight gain and growth.
“Dental caries in early childhood can inhibit weight gain and growth”
From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [96]
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- Authors
- Sheiham, A.
- Affiliations
- University College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Sheiham, A
- Venue
- British Dental Journal
- Published
- 2006-11
- Volume
- 201
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 625-626
- ISSN
- 0007-0610 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-5373
- OpenAlex
- W2119128813
- Cited by
- 742
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 78 · 2021: 63 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 47 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 48 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 39
- FWCI
- 11.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- BDJ (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Dental Health and Care Utilization
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Emergency Medical Services › Pediatric health and respiratory diseases
- Keywords
- dental caries, preschool children, body weight, growth, quality of life, caries treatment, dietary intake, pulpitis, abscess, chronic inflammation, anemia, erythropoiesis
- MeSH terms
- Body Weight, Child, Preschool, Dental Caries, Humans, Quality of Life, Growth and Development
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