Influência da cárie dentária e suas consequências no desempenho escolar de crianças: uma revisão de literatura

Abstract

Dental caries remains one of the most prevalent chronic conditions worldwide, considered a public health problem that negatively impacts quality of life, causing pain, sleep disturbances, and psychosocial problems. This systematic review aimed to investigate the influence of caries and its clinical and subjective consequences on the academic performance of children and adolescents. A study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) under protocol number CR D42024612593. Searches were conducted in five databases by two independent reviewers, in addition to grey literature. There were no restrictions regarding language or publication date. A total of 394 articles were identified, and after removing duplicates, screening by titles and abstracts, and subsequently reading the full texts, twenty studies were included in this review. The results indicated that the presence of caries is significantly associated with poorer academic performance. The impact was greater when caries progression resulted in serious clinical consequences (pulp involvement, fistulas, and abscesses) measured by the PUFA/pufa index, which proved to be a direct factor in poor performance. Toothache stood out as a critical mediator, as it generates school absenteeism and concentration difficulties resulting, for example, from sleep disorders. The literature reinforces that primary prevention in the school environment is the most effective strategy to avoid academic failure. It is concluded that caries and its consequences negatively influence school performance.