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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]