There is a link between body fat and periodontal disease among young adults, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Periodontology.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland examined the relationship between body weight and periodontal disease among 13,665 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were 18 years of age or older and had undergone a periodontal examination. Researchers used body mass index and waist circumference to measure overall and abdominal fat content.
After analyzing the data, researchers found that the prevalence of periodontal disease among obese young adults (aged 18–34 years) was 76 percent higher than that among normal weight young adults. They also found an association between being underweight and a decreased prevalence of periodontal disease in this age group.
Researchers found no significant association between body weight and periodontal disease among middle-aged (35-59 years) or older (60–90 years) adults.
They offered a couple of possible explanations for the strong association between obesity and periodontal disease in young adults. "Young people are now drinking more soft drinks and noncitrus juices than milk and healthier beverages, decreasing their vitamin C and calcium intake," lead author Dr. Mohammad S. Al-Zahrani said. "Periodontists have known for awhile that people who consume less than the recommended dietary allowance for calcium and vitamin C have slightly higher rates of periodontal disease."
The study also mentioned that obesity in young adults might be a greater source of chronic stress than in older adults for whom increased body weight is more acceptable. Stress and how a person copes with stress have been shown to increase a person’s risk of developing periodontal disease.
"This study gives us one more finding that shows that good nutrition and adequate physical activity are necessary for overall health and may help improve periodontal health by reducing the periodontal disease progression rate," said Dr. Gordon Douglass, president of the American Academy of Periodontology.
