Background The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on behavioural and psychosocial aspects related to oral health is unknown. Aim This study evaluated the psychosocial and behavioural changes related to oral health in adolescents immediately before and during the pandemic period of COVID‐19, enabling a longitudinal assessment of the perceived changes. Design This cohort study evaluated 290 adolescents from November 2019 to February 2020 (T1—before the pandemic in Brazil) and from June to July 2020 (T2) in southern Brazil. Sociodemographic, behavioural, and psychosocial variables were measured before and during the pandemic. Issues related to social distancing and job loss were also collected. The differences between the variables in T1 and T2, as well as the effect of social distancing, were assessed using a multilevel‐adjusted logistic regression model for repeated measures. Results A total of 207 adolescents were re‐evaluated at T2 (a response rate of 71.3%). During the pandemic, the frequency of toothbrushing, the use of dental services, and the self‐perceived need for dental treatment significantly decreased. Sugar consumption, bruxism, and quality of sleep did not change significantly. Conclusion Behavioural and psychosocial factors showed significant changes due to the COVID‐19 pandemic in adolescents.

Purpose As people around the world are facing the Covid-19 outbreak, their perception of oral health problems could be changed. This study aimed to evaluate the immediate effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents. Methods A cohort study with schoolchildren from southern Brazil was conducted. Data on adolescents' OHRQoL were collected from December 2019 to February 2020 (T1), before the Brazilian Covid-19 outbreak. Posteriorly, the data were collected again in June and July of 2020 (T2), under the Brazilian Covid-19 outbreak. The OHRQoL was assessed using the Brazilian short version of the CPQ11-14. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the degree of social distancing were also assessed. Changes in OHRQoL between T1 and T2 were evaluated by adjusted Multilevel Poisson regression models for repeated measures. Results From 290 individuals evaluated at T1, 207 were reevaluated at T2 (response rate of 71.3%). The overall CPQ11-14 mean score was significantly lower during the pandemic, reducing from 10.8 at T1 to 7.7 at T2. This significant reduction was also observed for all CPQ domains, indicating a lower negative impact of oral conditions on adolescents' quality of life during the pandemic. Adolescents from families that had a middle or low degree of social distancing during the pandemic and whose parents were harmed in employment had higher CPQ11-14 scores. Conclusion Overall and specific-domains CPQ-14 scores were significantly lower during the Brazilian Covid-19 outbreak, indicating a decrease in the perception of oral health problems by adolescents over that period.

Providing dental treatment has beneficial effects on the quality of life of adolescents, especially for oral symptoms and emotional well-being.

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.

This study aimed to evaluate the theoretical pathways by which social capital can influence dental caries and oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children over time. This 10-y prospective cohort started in 2010 with a sample of 639 preschoolers aged 1 to 5 y from the southern Brazil. Community and individual social capital were assessed at baseline through the presence of formal institutions in the neighborhood and social networks, respectively. In the 10-y follow-up, the individual social capital was evaluated by social trust and social networks. Dental caries was measured by the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), and the short version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11-14) was used to assess OHRQoL. Demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral (frequency of toothbrushing and use of dental services), and psychosocial (sense of coherence) characteristics were also assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the associations between variables over time. About 429 children were reassessed at 10-y follow-up (67.1% cohort retention rate). High community social capital at baseline directly predicted lower occurrence of dental caries and better OHRQoL after 10 y. Social capital at community level also indirectly predicted lower occurrence of dental caries through sense of coherence, frequency of toothbrushing, and use of dental services. Individual social capital at follow-up was indirectly linked to OHRQoL via the psychosocial pathway (sense of coherence). Community-level social capital was associated with dental caries and OHRQoL over time. The relationship between individual social capital and oral health was mediated through the psychosocial pathway.