Purpose: Evaluate the impact of gingivitis on Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among 12year-old schoolchildren from Quito, Ecuador. Methods: We evaluated 998 schoolchildren 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 to 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 to 0.96). Children whose parents had incomplete secondary education had a 15% lower mean CPQ (RT = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.77 to 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 to 1.90) and social well-being domains (RT = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.32 to 2.34). Conclusion:Gingival bleeding negatively impacted the OHRQoL of 12-year-old Ecuadorian schoolchildren living in Quito.

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