The need for oral health care is one of the greatest unmet needs among children.

An estimated 51 million school hours per year are lost due to dental-related illness.

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 who take a test while they have tootaches are unlikely to score as well as those children who are undistracted by pain. 

When children's acute dental problems are treated and they are not experiencing pain, their learning and school attendance records improve.