The Importance of Nutrition In Maintaining
Oral Health
In the summer of 2007 Trinity LifeCare commissioned the Newcastle University School of Dental Sciences to undertake a survey of Dentists and Hygienists in general practice throughout the UK, to determine the knowledge and attitudes of this group towards the role of nutrition in periodontal (gum) health. The conclusion of this survey was that “a majority of dentists consider that nutrition and dietary factors play a role in maintaining periodontal health”.
66% Of The Respondent Dentists Believed Nutrition Is Important For Healthy Gums
Eight hundred and seventy nine questionnaires were completed out of the 20,000 dentists who were polled for their views (4.4%). Sixty-six percent of respondents believed nutrition plays a role in periodontal health. Dietary factors that were considered most important were vitamin C (70%), fruit and vegetables (64%) and antioxidant vitamins (45%). Forty-four percent had recommended nutritional supplements to their patients with multivitamin and mineral supplements (37%) and vitamin C (30%) the most popular.
67% Of Patients Exhibit Symptoms of Gum Disease
Fourteen percent of the respondents indicated that they or a colleague talk to patients about the role of nutrition and eating a healthy diet in the maintenance of periodontal health ‘as a key component of regular patient care’ and 50% ‘when the situation suggests that this is required’. When asked about their perception of the percentage of patients visiting their surgery that exhibit symptoms of gum or other periodontal disease, respondents reported an average of 67 % with some symptoms and of these 22 % were considered to be ‘serious’ and 10% ‘very serious’. Respondents considered that an average of 29 % of patients would see a benefit to their periodontal health from an improvement in diet.
Demographic Background To Gum Disease
The Adult Dental Health Survey (Oral Health in the UK 1998) commissioned every ten years by the UK Departments of Health and carried out by the Social Survey Division of the Office for National Statistics, found that 54% of adults with their own teeth had some periodontal pocketing of 4mm or more and 5% had deep pocketing of 6mm or more; 43% had some loss of attachment (gums to the tooth) of 4mm or more and 8% had loss of attachment of 6mm or more. The report observes “these findings may well underestimate the real prevalence of the disease among adults since the data only refer to dentate adults, and even among dentate adults many of the most vulnerable teeth may already have been lost to periodontal disease”.
The Importance of Nutrition in the Management of Gum Disease
The aim of this survey was to investigate the experience and the views of general dental practitioners & hygienists throughout the UK on the link between nutrition and gum disease.
Although the importance of certain vitamins and minerals in the maintenance of the periodontal tissues is well understood by the medical and scientific community, the therapeutic role of nutrition in periodontal disease has not been well defined.
Most of the studies that have been conducted suggest that there may be an association between certain aspects of diet and periodontal disease, including intake of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and whole grains. Furthermore there is a well established link between consumption of a healthier diet and prevention of many chronic diseases associated with periodontitis.
Nutrition & Link Between Gum Disease & Other Chronic Health Conditions
It is well documented that many chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease can be prevented by a healthier diet. There is also an increasing awareness of the links between general health and oral health. Periodontal disease has been linked with other health conditions which are known to be related to nutrition. In three separate analyses of the US Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, statistically significant associations were found between periodontitis [gum disease] and body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio and fat-free mass in adults, a significant association was found between body mass index and waist circumference and periodontal disease in younger adults, and in an analysis of adolescents only, total body weight and waist circumference were associated with periodontitis in older adolescents aged 17 to 21 years.
This suggests that being overweight or obese may be a risk factor for periodontitis and that dietary modification to reduce overweight and obesity might also have benefits for periodontal health.