ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Vitamin C is important for maintaining periodontal health. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between vitamin C intake and periodontal disease in adults. METHODS: The data collected from the 2010 Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was retrospectively reviewed. The final sample included 2,878 subjects, aged between 30 and 59 years. These patients had also undergone the required oral examinations and had taken health and nutrition surveys. RESULTS: The incidence of periodontal disease was 24.4%. The patients' gender, age, spouse, education level, smoking habits, brushing frequency, and vitamin C intake were considered to be significant risk factors for periodontal disease based on complex sampling analysis. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio for occurrence of periodontal disease was 0.69 (95% confidence interval, 0.477-0.987) when the vitamin C intake of subjects in quartile 4 (Q4) and Q1 were compared (P=0.0421). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that vitamin C intake is significantly associated with periodontal disease, and also provide information that will aid in the prevention of periodontal disease.