Assessing periodontitis risk from specific dietary patterns: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Our goal is to perform a meta-analysis to investigate the risk of periodontitis associated with specific dietary patterns.

We employed the PRISMA methodology in a meta-analysis to examine the correlation between dietary patterns and the risk of periodontitis. We systematically searched three online databases from inception to November 2024 to identify relevant studies. Summary estimates with 95%CI were calculated to assess the relationship between specific dietary patterns and the risk of periodontitis. Cumulative estimates were synthesized using random-effects or fixed-effects models. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using Cochran's Q and I² statistics.

In total, we included 19 articles that analyzed 5 dietary patterns The study showed that a diet high in inflammation-promoting foods significantly raised the likelihood of periodontitis (OR = 1.39, 95% CI, 1.09-1.77), in contrast, dietary patterns like the mediterranean diet (OR = 0.96, 95% CI, 0.94-0.98), plant-based diet (OR = 0.92, 95% CI, 0.86-0.98), or dairy-rich diet (OR = 0.76, 95% CI, 0.66-0.87) lowered the risk of periodontitis. The analysis revealed no statistically significant association between a western diet (OR = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.86-1.33) and the risk of periodontitis.

As dietary diversity and complexity continue to expand, there has been a concomitant increase in the prevalence of periodontal disease. This study has identified specific dietary patterns associated with the risk of periodontitis, particularly highlighting the heightened risk linked to pro-inflammatory diets. These findings emphasize the importance of implementing targeted dietary practices to reduce the incidence of this condition.