You Are What You Eat: Nutrition and Periodontal Health

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by oral microorganisms, characterized by the loss of structures supporting the teeth, i.e., periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone. In the United States, the prevalence of periodontitis among adults over 30 years of age is approximately 42% and causes significant impact on overall and oral quality of life.¹ While periodontitis is initiated by the microorganisms and their byproducts in dental plaque biofilm, its disease progression is mediated by the individual host immune-inflammatory response.² As such, periodontal disease progression may be influenced by many systemic and environmental risk factors, including smoking, diabetes mellitus, alcohol consumption, psychosocial stress, and/or sex hormonal levels. In addition to these systemic influences, recent findings suggest that periodontitis is also influenced by local and/or serum/plasma micronutrient levels. These levels are dependent upon dietary, lifestyle factors, and/or nutrigenetic characteristics.

The old adage,“you are what you eat“ relates to periodontal health as well. Eating a balanced diet is critical to overall health and an imbalance, deficit, or overconsumption of dietary components can lead to severe systemic and oral diseases. Both macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients can impact cell function, host cell immunity, and biofilm formation and maturation. Findings suggest that dietary consumption may influence periodontal health and that deficiencies of both macro- and micronutrients may play a role in the onset or exacerbation of periodontal diseases. This course seeks to review the association between micronutrient levels and periodontitis and their underlying physiologic mechanisms.