Lower Nutrient Intakes and Periodontitis: Findings from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

Background: Limited information is available regarding the associations of various nutrients and periodontitis in Korea. Furthermore, these associations have been controversial in previous studies. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the associations between several nutrients and periodontitis. Methods: Pooled data from the 2007~2010 and 2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) were used for the present study. Periodontitis was defined using the World Health Organization (WHO) Community Periodontal Index. All participants completed the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), which was analyzed using CAN-Pro 4.0. Vitamins A, B₁, B₂, and C, iron, phosphorus, calcium, and protein were selected for analysis. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for periodontitis. Results: Lower intake of phosphorus (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.86), calcium (AOR = 1.25), and protein (AOR = 1.52) were associated with periodontitis in males, and lower intake of vitamins A (AOR = 1.32), B1 (AOR = 1.21), B2 (AOR = 1.24), and C (AOR = 1.21), iron (AOR = 1.25), phosphorus (AOR = 1.33), and protein (AOR = 1.27) showed significant relationships with periodontitis in females. In the sociodemographic, somatic, and health behavior-adjusted models, lower phosphorus (AOR = 2.68) and protein (AOR = 1.68) intake in younger males, and lower vitamin A intake (AOR = 1.37) in middle-aged females were significantly associated with periodontitis. Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrated a significant association between periodontitis and nutrient intake. To avoid an insufficient nutrient supply for a patient with periodontal disease, the patient's diet should be closely monitored.