Poor diet predicts periodontal disease development in 11-year follow-up study

Objective: To study whether diets based on the Nordic food culture and dietary recommendations are related to periodontal disease development. Methods: The data were based on the Health 2000 and 2011 Surveys (BRIF8901). The participants were aged 30‐49 in 2000, periodontally healthy, without diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. Analyses were made in the total study population (n = 240) and among nonsmokers (n = 193) in 2011. Periodontal condition was determined in a clinical examination, and the number of teeth with deepened (≥4 mm) periodontal pockets in 2011 was used as an outcome. The diet was measured using a validated food frequency questionnaire and the quality of the diet using the Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS) and the Recommended Finnish Diet Score (RFDS) in 2000. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Poisson regression models. Results: Low scores (indicating poor diet) in both the BSDS and the RFDS were associated with the development of deepened periodontal pockets. Among nonsmokers, the associations between low dietary scores and the number of teeth with deepened periodontal pockets were stronger than among the whole study population. Conclusions: Among middle-aged adults, poor-quality diet appears to be associated with the development of periodontal disease.