The Surgeon General reported that 80 percent of all dental disease occurs in only 25 percent of all children. Low income, low education, and minority status are all associated with lower odds of having dental visits. An estimated four to five million children are in acute dental need. Good oral health is inextricably linked to a child's overall health and well being. Poor oral health is linked to slower growth rate for toddlers and poor nutrition in children.
Afflicted children experience pain and infection, and are distracted from learning.
Each year, children spend over 1.1 million days sick in bed and nearly 500,000 miss school days because of an acute dental condition. Children suffering from untreated dental decay may be subject to other complicating medical conditions, as well as inadequate diet and hygiene. Poor dental health in children is frequently a marker for poor overall health. Children who do not receive regular dental check-ups often end up seeking expensive hospital emergency room care. One-third of all children seeking emergency care for toothaches have abscessed teeth.