Association between dietary antioxidant quality score and periodontitis: A cross-sectional study

Evidence to date linking relation between dietary antioxidant quality score (DAQS) and periodontitis is limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between DAQS and periodontitis.

In total, 9457 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The outcome was defined as periodontitis. DAQS was calculated by comparing the daily dietary intake of six micronutrients (vitamin A, C, E, selenium, magnesium and zinc) to the recommended daily intake, which was divided into three groups: low quality (1-2 points), medium quality (3-4 points) and high quality (5-6 points). Weighted logistic regression models were carried out to examine the association of DAQS and periodontitis. Meanwhile, this study investigated the effects of DAQS and periodontitis by stratified specific analyses based on diabetes and dyslipidemia.

There were 4951 participants with periodontitis and 4506 non-periodontitis subjects. Compared with periodontitis group, mean DAQS score in participants with non-periodontitis was higher. After adjusting for all possible confounding factors, the results showed that high quality group of DAQS was related to the decreased risk of periodontitis [odds ratio (OR) = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67-0.95, P = 0.012]. Subgroup analysis showed that the association between high quality group of DAQS and periodontitis was significant in participants without diabetes nor dyslipidemia (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.39-0.87, P = 0.009).

Based on data from nationally representative data from the US population, DAQS is found to be associated with periodontitis risk.