Gingivitis influences oral health-related quality of life in adolescents: findings from a cohort study.

Fernanda Ruffo Ortiz,Ana Gabriela Maieron Coradini,Camila Silveira Sfreddo,Maria Laura Braccini Fagundes,Thiago Machado Ardenghi

doi:10.1590/1980-549720200051

Abstract

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is affected by different clinical conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of gingivitis on OHRQoL in adolescents. This cohort study consisted of a random sample of 1,134 schoolchildren enrolled during 2012, in Santa Maria, Brazil. After two years, 743 adolescents were follow-up (response rate: 65.5%). Clinical, socioeconomic and OHRQoL data were collected. OHRQoL was assessed by the short Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14), and gingival bleeding through Community Periodontal Index. Gingivitis was considered with the presence of 15% or more bleeding sites. Poisson regression models were used to evaluate the association between gingivitis and overall and domain-specific CPQ11-14 scores. Prevalence of gingivitis at baseline was considered the main predictor for the OHRQoL at follow-up. Gingivitis at baseline was associated with higher overall CPQ 11-14 score (RR = 1.07; 95%CI 1.01 - 1.14), and emotional well-being (RR = 1.17; 95%CI 1.04 - 1.31), independently of other oral conditions and socioeconomic variables. The findings indicate that gingivitis negatively impacts the adolescents' OHRQoL. Moreover, gender, maternal schooling and household income were also associated with OHRQoL.

Highlights

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is affected by different clinical conditions
OHRQoL was assessed by the short Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11–14), and gingival bleeding through Community Periodontal Index
A total of 1,134 12-year-old schoolchildren were enrolled at baseline (2012), and 743 adolescents were followed up in 2014

Summary

Introduction

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is affected by different clinical conditions. Several questionnaires focused on measuring the OHRQoL of children and adolescents have been developed and used as a source of clinical indicators[2]. These questionnaires described as Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) instruments collect information based on patients’ perceptions regarding specific oral symptoms or general concepts, such as functional limitations, emotional and social well-being. In this sense, PRO instruments have assisted clinicians to find better oral therapies, and to evaluate patient treatment outcomes[3]. In Brazil, national survey data indicate a prevalence of 27.1% of children and 33.8% of adolescents with gingival bleeding[6]

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