Association between dietary patterns and the dental caries experience among postmenopausal women

Aims To examine the association between dietary patterns and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) score cross-sectionally and prospectively among postmenopausal women.Methods Study sample included postmenopausal women enrolled in the OsteoPerio study. Dietary patterns, including the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020, Alternative HEI (AHEI)-2010, dietary approaches to stop hypertension, and alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMed), were scored based on two food frequency questionnaires administered across three years preceding baseline (1997-2001). Dental examinations at baseline and year five assessed 28 teeth (excluding third molars). Numbers of DMFT were aggregated according to the World Health Organization's definition. Cross-sectional associations of dietary pattern scores with decayed teeth, missing teeth, and filled teeth, and DMFT at baseline (n = 1,214) and prospective associations with changes in MT and DMFT (n = 934) were examined.Results Cross-sectionally, higher HEI, AHEI, and aMed scores were associated with less MT (rate ratios: 0.93, 0.91, and 0.96, respectively) and less DMFT (ß: -0.32, -0.50, and -0.23, respectively). No significant prospective associations were observed.Conclusions In this group of postmenopausal women, better adherence to healthy dietary patterns was associated with fewer prevalent dental caries but not with the progression in five years.