Relationship between nutrition and periodontitis in the Turkish population: a pilot study

Aims: Periodontitis is a chronic, multifactorial inflammatory disease affecting the tooth-supporting structures and is influenced by lifestyle-related risk factors, including nutrition. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nutritional and periodontal status of Turkish population using the Mini Nutritional Assessment® (MNA) tool. Methods: A total of 50 systemically healthy, non-smoking individuals were enrolled, of whom 25 were periodontally healthy, and 25 had periodontitis. Participants underwent full-mouth periodontal examinations. Nutritional status was assessed using the MNA questionnaire, individuals were categorized as having normal nutrition, being at risk of malnutrition, or malnourished. Statistical analyses were performed using tests appropriate to data distribution, including T tests, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, Chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests, with normality assessed via Shapiro-Wilk, histograms, skewness, and kurtosis. Results: 56% of the participants had normal nutritional status, while 44% were at risk of malnutrition. A higher percentage of individuals at risk were observed in the periodontitis group (52%) compared to the control group (36%), though the difference was not statistically significant. Daily intake of dairy products (p=0.235) and meat/fish/poultry (p=0.345) were more common in the control group, while fruit and vegetable (p=0.762) consumption were more in periodontitis group. Notably, 69.6% of participants who perceived their nutrition as adequate were in the control group, compared to only 30.4% in the periodontitis group (p=0.028), suggesting a link between perceived nutrition quality and periodontal health. Although no significant differences in clinical periodontal parameters were observed based on specific dietary components or MNA scores, the overall trend suggested that individuals with better nutritional status had healthier periodontal conditions. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential role of nutrition, particularly the intake of animal proteins and dairy products, in maintaining periodontal health. The MNA tool may serve as a valuable adjunct for determining the nutritional status and integrating dietary evaluation into personalized periodontal care. Further large-scale, multi-center studies incorporating biochemical markers and gender-specific analyses are recommended to validate and build upon these findings.