Are oral health conditions associated with schoolchildren’s performance and school attendance in the Kingdom of Bahrain? A life‐course perspective

Background: The link between oral diseases and school performance and school attendance remains unclear among Middle Eastern children.Aim: To investigate the relationship of oral conditions with schoolchildren's school performance and attendance using the life- course approach.Design: A cross- sectional study was conducted with 466 schoolchildren aged 7- 8 years from Kingdom of Bahrain (KoB) and their parents. Questionnaire data on children's current and at- birth environmental characteristics were completed by their parents. Children's oral health measures, including ICDAS (International Caries Detection and Assessment System), PUFA (pulp, ulcer, fistula, abscess), and DDE (developmental d…