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 (CPQ(11-)(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 CPQ(11-)(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.