Importance of Children's Oral Health February is National Children's Dental(牙齿的) Health Month, but in children good oral(口部的) care is critical every day. The first comprehensive study on the nation's oral health, released recently by the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, calls dental and oral diseases a 'silent epidemic(流行病)', even in children. The report states that more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness. In fact, a recent study pointed to dental care as the most common unmet health need among American children. To help counter this, the American Academy of Periodontology(牙周病学)(AAP) is launching an effort to educate children and parents about the prevention of dental diseases in children. 'This is important because oral problems can impact self-esteem for children and lead to problems eating, speaking and attending to learning', said Michael McGuire, president of the AAP. Common dental problems seen in children are cavities(龋洞) and gingivitis(龈炎), which are found in the majority of U.S. children. 'When these problems are not caught early and treated, they can develop into more severe problems and cause unnecessary suffering', said McGuire. 'However, much of the time, oral problems are avoidable problems'. In the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, a group of more than 120 dentists(牙医) volunteers to deliver dental care to thousands of low-income children each year with its Mobile Dental Unit that travels from school to school. 'According to the Surgeon General's Report, about 37 percent of children have not had a dental visit before starting school', said McGuire. 'When children don't see dentists, they miss the opportunity to have problems caught early before they develop into larger, more expensive problems to treat, and parents miss the opportunity to learn how to promote good oral habits in their children'. Only in February should attention be paid to children's oral health.