Association between caries in anterior teeth and bullying victimization in Brazilian schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years.: a cross sectional study

Aim To investigate the association between presence of caries in anterior teeth and bullying victimization in schoolchildren. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Brazil with a sample of 387 schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years. The presence of moderate/extensive dental caries was assessed using the International System for the Evaluation and Detection of Dental Caries (ICDAS-II). The children answered the “Olweus Bullying” (QBO). Descriptive analyses were performed, and the associations between bullying victimization and independent variables collected were determined by univariate and multivariate Poisson regression. Results The prevalence of bullying victimization was 66.4%. Bullying victimization was higher among children who had moderate/extensive caries in some anterior teeth ( p = 0.010). 8-year-old ( p = 0.048), 9-year-old ( p = 0.001), and 10-year-old ( p = 0.002) children reported greater bullying victimization when compared to 6-year-olds. Conclusion The presence of moderate/extensive dental caries in anterior teeth is associated with bullying victimization in schoolchildren.