Heart-healthy habits are good for oral health, say researchers in a study published in the August issue of Journal of Periodontology.
Dr. Mohammad S. Al-Zahrani (Division of Periodontics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) and colleagues from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, examined the relationships between weight, exercise and a high-quality diet and dental disease in the U.S. population to determine whether the same factors that can prevent heart disease and lower the risks for diabetes also affect oral health.
They examined data from 12,110 people who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Subjects were monitored for 24 hours regarding their food intake and asked if they participated in nine leisure-time physical activities (walking a mile or more at a time without stopping, jogging or running, bike riding, aerobic dancing or exercise, dancing, swimming, calisthenics, garden or yard work, and weight lifting).
Researchers found that subjects who exercised, had healthy eating habits and maintained a normal weight (body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 kilograms per square meter) were 40 percent less likely to develop periodontitis. The prevalence of periodontitis was reduced by 29 percent for subjects who had only two of the healthy habits and by 16 percent in those who had only one.
Researchers concluded that healthy behaviors that lower the risks for diabetes also can lower the risk factors for periodontitis. Healthy eating habits, which build the body’s defenses against disease, also reduce the production of plaque biofilm, which is the primary epidemiologic factor associated with periodontal disease.
"Since oral health professionals may see their patients two or four times a year, it gives them several opportunities to promote these healthy behaviors," said researchers.
