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Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate if children's oral health and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) were associated with school performance. Moreover, the study aimed to examine whether school environment factors influenced this association., Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on a population-based sample of 998 12-year-old schoolchildren from 31 public schools in Quito, Ecuador. Trained and calibrated examiners conducted clinical exams for dental caries, dental trauma and malocclusion. Furthermore, children completed the Spanish version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ 11-14 ), and their parents answered questions about socio-economic status. School coordinators provided information on the physical environment, promotion of health practices and the occurrence of negative episodes in the school. There were three outcomes: grades obtained in Spanish language and mathematics and the number of missed school days. Multilevel linear and Poisson regression models were conducted using a hierarchical approach to include the variables guided by a previously created direct acyclic graph., Results: Children with dental trauma and higher CPQ 11-14 scores showed lower grades and school attendance. Schoolchildren from schools with episodes of vandalism had more school days missed., Conclusion: The school performance of 12-year-old children is affected by dental trauma and by a worse OHRQoL, as well as a negative school environment. Therefore, supportive environments and promoting health measures in schools could overcome this worse academic performance in children with oral health problems., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

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., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.)

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess whether favorable factors related to school characteristics have a positive effect on the impact of traumatic dental injury (TDI) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). An epidemiological survey of oral health was conducted with 12-year-old schoolchildren from Quito, Ecuador. Children were examined for TDI, dental caries, and malocclusion. Individual socioeconomic data were also collected. Information on the physical environment, health practices, and occurrence of negative episodes at school was collected from the school coordinators. The Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14) was used to evaluate the OHRQoL (outcome variable). Multilevel Poisson regression analysis was conducted. Severe TDI was associated with higher CPQ11-14 scores, even in the multiple model adjusted for oral health conditions, sex, individual socioeconomic variables, and school-related variables. Children from schools that had an appropriate tooth-brushing environment for their students exhibited a lower impact on OHRQoL, even after adjustment for the occurrence of TDI and other variables. A favorable school environment may exert a positive effect on OHRQoL, independent of the occurrence of TDI.