Background Social capital incorporates contextual and individual levels of interactions, which influence human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of individual and contextual social capital in early childhood on gingival bleeding in children after 7 years. Methods This 7‐year cohort study was conducted with a randomized sample of 639 children (1 to 5 years old) evaluated in 2010 (T1) in Santa Maria, southern Brazil. Gingival bleeding was recorded during follow‐up (T2). Contextual (social class association and number of churches) and individual (religious practice, volunteer networks, and school involvement) social capital variables were collected at baseline, along with demographic, socioeconomic, and oral health variables. A multilevel Poisson regression model was used to investigate the influence of individual and contextual variables on mean gingival bleeding. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Results A total of 449 children were reassessed after 7 years (70.3% cohort retention rate). Children living in areas with a larger number of churches at baseline had lower mean gingival bleeding at follow‐up. Regarding individual social capital, children whose parents did not attend school activities were more likely to have gingival bleeding. Additionally, low maternal education, poor parents’ perception of oral health, non‐use of dental services, and low frequency of tooth brushing were related to higher mean gingival bleeding at follow‐up. Conclusion The presence of more churches in neighborhoods and parents' involvement in a child's school activities positively influenced children's oral health, and these individuals had lower mean gingival bleeding.

Background Toothache is considered a multifactorial health problem that is associated with oral diseases and comorbidities. Aim Evaluate the direct and indirect pathways between toothache and children's oral health‐related quality of life (COHRQoL). Design This is a cross‐sectional study conducted with a random sample of children from southern Brazil. The variables included demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and oral health characteristics. Toothache was collected through the question 'Have you had toothache in the last 12 months?'. COHRQoL was collected by the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 8‐10 in his Brazilian version. The pathways between the associated variables, toothache, and COHRQoL were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results A total of 449 schoolchildren were evaluated. The prevalence of toothache was 50.1% (95% confidence interval: 45.4%‐54.8%). The poorer COHRQoL was directly affected by the presence of toothache. Considering the indirect pathways, the low household income, high household crowding, low age, the use of public health service, and the untreated dental caries influenced indirectly in the worst COHRQoL via toothache. Conclusion This study determined that COHRQoL was directly influenced by toothache. Meanwhile, indirect pathways were observed. These findings justify initiatives that highlight the importance of the reduction of oral diseases that can lead to pain experiences.

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the association between oral hygiene habits and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of pregnant women. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted with a randomized sample of 100 pregnant women in a municipality in southern Brazil. OHRQoL was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral factors were collected through a structured interview. Clinical variables were obtained through examinations (gingivitis, periodontitis and dental caries). The association between predictor variables and OHIP-14 scores was evaluated using Poisson Regression models. Results are presented as Rate Ratio (RR) and a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: The mean age of the sample was 24 years. The average total OHIP-14 scores were 11.54 [standard deviation (SD) 8.68]. Non-white pregnant women reported a worse OHRQoL compared with white women (RR 1.37; 95% CI 1.22-1.55). In addition, tooth brushing frequency > 2 times a day was a protective factor against negative impacts on OHRQoL compared with tooth brushing of ≤ 2 times a day (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.70-0.92). Conclusions: Non-white women had greater impacts on OHRQoL. In addition, pregnant women who brushed their teeth >2 times a day had better OHRQoL. These findings are useful in planning strategies for improving health conditions as well as the OHRQoL of pregnant women.

Objective: To assess factors associated with the average number of dental caries in pregnant women. Method: Basic research design: This cross-sectional study was performed between January 2017 and December 2018 in Santa Maria, Brazil. Clinical setting and participants: Multistage random sampling resulted in the recruitment of 256 pregnant women from public health centers across the city. Clinical exams and semi-structured questionnaires including demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral questions were performed by trained interviewers. Main outcome measure: The experience of dental caries was evaluated through the mean value of the Decay, Missing, and Filled Surface Index (DMFS) by 4 trained and calibrated examiners. Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to evaluate the influence of different variables on the average number of dental caries. Rate ratio (RR) and respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated (CI 95%). Results: The prevalence of untreated dental caries was 62.7% in the sample, while the mean DMFS index was 10.27 (± 10.92). Women who smoked during pregnancy had a higher mean DMFS (RR 1.41; 95% CI 1.25-1.57). Furthermore, pregnant women who had poor self-ratings of oral health had a higher average DMFS (RR 1.21; 95% CI 1.10-1.32). Conclusions: The results showed that older age, ethnicity, fewer years in education and the presence of dental plaque resulted in higher means of DMFS.