Background: Dentofacial features are related to increased bullying episodes in young people. The aim of this study was to assess the association between gingival bleeding and reports of verbal bullying among adolescents.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with a representative sample of 608 12-year-old adolescents from southern Brazil. The occurrence of verbal bullying was verified through adolescents' self-report. Oral health measurements included the presence of gingival bleeding, dental fracture, dental fluorosis, and dental caries experience. Gingival bleeding was assessed through adolescent self-perception by the following question: "Did you notice any bleeding in your gums?" Demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial variables were also evaluated. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to evaluate the influence of gingival bleeding on the occurrence of verbal bullying. Results are presented as prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).
Results: Out of 608 adolescents evaluated, 577 answered bullying questions. The prevalence of self-reported verbal bullying was 12.8%. Adolescents who presented gingival bleeding had an 80% higher prevalence of verbal bullying than their counterparts (PR 1.80; 95% CI 1.01 -3.19). Dental shame, speech difficulties and influence of dental condition on studies also impacted the higher prevalence of bullying.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that the presence of gingival bleeding negatively impacts the social life of adolescents, causing more episodes of verbal bullying. These findings encourage public health policies aimed at reducing oral health inequities, thus reflecting on the well-being and quality of life of this target population.
Keywords: bullying; child; gingivitis; observational study; oral health.
© 2020 American Academy of Periodontology.