Impact of gingivitis on oral health-related quality of life in 12-year-old schoolchildren of Quito, Ecuador

Purpose Evaluate the impact of gingivitis on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) amongst 12-year-old schoolchildren from Quito, Ecuador. Methods We evaluated 998 school children using the Community Periodontal Index for gingival bleeding and calculus. OHRQoL was assessed with the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11–14 (CPQ11–14) questionnaire. Results Of the 998 schoolchildren, 93% had gingival bleeding and 73% had dental calculus. Schoolchildren with more than one sextant with gingival bleeding had 1.18 times higher mean CPQ11–14 (RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.11–1.27) than those with none or just one affected sextant. Male schoolchildren presented a 15% lower mean Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) (RT 0.85; 95% CI 0.76–0.96). Children whose parents had incomplete secondary education had a 15% lower mean CPQ (RT 0.85; 95% CI 0.77–0.94). Bleeding in more than one sextant was significantly associated with worse quality of life in the emotional well-being (RT 1.40, 95% CI 1.03–1.90) and social well-being domains (RT 1.76, 95% CI 1.32–2.34). Conclusion Gingival bleeding negatively impacted the OHRQoL of 12-year-old Ecuadorian schoolchildren living in Quito