An exploratory study on the role of serum fatty acids in the short-term dietary therapy of gingivitis.

A previous randomised controlled trial showed that an anti-inflammatory diet (AID) significantly reduced gingival inflammation despite constant plaque values. This exploratory study investigated the role of serum fatty acids in relation to the observed clinical effects. Therefore, data of thirty participants with gingivitis, following either a pro-inflammatory dietary pattern (PID) rich in saturated fat, omega 6 fatty acids, and refined carbohydrates or an AID for 4 weeks, were correlated with corresponding serum samples for a variety of fatty acids. Changes in the fatty acid profile and effects on clinical periodontal parameters were analysed. Results showed that the polyunsatured:saturated fatty acids ratio (PUFA:SFA ratio) and nervonic acid level were significantly higher in the AID group than in the PID group at the end of the study. Significant intragroup differences were seen only in the AID group. Diverse fatty acids showed heterogeneous relations to clinical parameters. This study demonstrated that the serum fatty acid profile was not fundamentally associated with the clinical gingivitis-lowering effects of an AID in short-term, although some fatty acids showed individual relations to clinical parameters with respect to inflammation. Hence, short-term effects of dietary therapy on gingivitis may be rather based on carbohydrate-related effects and/or micronutrients.

Association of non-surgical periodontal therapy on patients' oral health-related quality of life-A multi-centre cohort study.

AIM: The aim of this multi-centre cohort study was to investigate the association of non-surgical periodontal therapy (NST) on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in general and related to severity of periodontal disease and treatment modalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventy-two patients with periodontal disease from 18 dental practices were measured before and 6-8 weeks after NST using a standardized and validated OHRQoL instrument (Oral Health Impact Profile-G14, OHIP-G14). Another questionnaire was filled out by the dentists to evaluate the influence of treatment modalities and disease severity. RESULTS: Overall, the mean value of the OHIP baseline improved significantly after NST (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, a significant negative association between the severity of periodontitis and OHRQoL could be detected, and only patients with moderate and severe periodontitis showed a significant improvement of OHIP mean values (p < 0.0001). The results also indicated a significant association of the practitioners (p = 0.0362) as well as treatment modalities (favouring systemic antibiotics, p = 0.0066) regarding the improvement of the patients' OHRQoL. CONCLUSION: This study showed that NST is positively associated with patients' oral health-related quality of life. This association seems to depend on the disease severity and caregiver and treatment modality.