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Table 3 Example participant quotes—social situations

From: Gum health and quality of life—subjective experiences from across the gum health-disease continuum in adults

Theme

Participant quote

Smiling

‘When I was younger, I’d probably feel a bit conscious about it…You know, smiling, laughing’ (Participant 9, Male, 44, Gingivitis)

Intimacy

‘It’s the bad breath. It’s so, I can’t tell you and your personal life with your wife, kissing—terrible. Because the effect on your partner is like, you don’t really want to kiss someone who’s got terrible, terrible breath. You don’t want to be up close with someone who has got terrible breath’ (Participant 17, Male, 47, Periodontal disease)

Talking

‘Only if it made my mouth look really a mess and, I was going somewhere…y’know where I’d got to actually y’know speak, or…erm… if…Normally if I were at my friends, they…who…we all know each other really well, it wouldn’t bother me… But maybe going to something where I was having to deliver a talk, or speak to somebody new or something like that. It might make me think…oh. I hate it when you’re talking to people and they’ve got their hand over their mouth and you can’t see what they’re saying’ (Participant 5, Female, 43, Gingivitis)

Noticeability of symptoms

‘I think probably my husband did notice years ago. And said, “Ooh, you need to sort that out.“ Or something, and then I think you feel a bit self-conscious or a bit silly that you haven’t done anything about it’ (Participant 12, Female, 39, Gingivitis)