How to Measure Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet in Dental Studies: Is a Short Adherence Screener Enough? A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) in a study investigating the anti-inflammatory effect of a 6-week Mediterranean diet intervention on periodontal parameters. Data from a randomized clinical trial were analyzed for correlations between the MEDAS score and oral inflammatory parameters (bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival index (GI), and periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA)) and select nutrient intakes estimated by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24-h dietary recall (24dr). A mixed model, calculations of Spearman ρ, Lin’s Concordance Coefficient (CC), and Mann–Whitney U test were used for the statistical analyses. The MEDAS score was significantly negatively correlated with periodontal inflammation (BOP: CoE −0.391, p < 0.001; GI −0.407, p < 0.001; PISA −0.348, p = 0.001) and positively correlated with poly unsaturated fatty acids/total fat, vitamin C, and fiber intake estimates obtained from the FFQ and 24dr (ρ 0.38–0.77). The FFQ and 24dr produced heterogeneously comparable intake results for most nutrients (CC 0–0.79, Spearman ρ 0.16–0.65). Within the limitations of this study, the MEDAS was able to indicate nutritional habits associated with different levels of periodontal inflammation. Accordingly, the MEDAS can be a sufficient and useful diet screener in dental studies. Due to its correlation with oral inflammatory parameters, the MEDAS might also be useful in dental practice.

Abnormal Micronutrient Intake Is Associated with the Risk of Periodontitis: A Dose–response Association Study Based on NHANES 2009–2014

“…There is substantial evidence supporting a strong association between periodontitis and micronutrient intake [49][50][51][52][53][54][55]. Varied studies have been conducted in different directions to evaluate the association between periodontitis and micronutrient intake [45,[56][57][58][59][60]. Existing studies tend to explore the correlation using linear models, showing that associations between micronutrient intake and some other diseases were complex and nonlinear [61][62][63][64][65][66][67].…”

Examining the Composition of the Oral Microbiota as a Tool to Identify Responders to Dietary Changes

“…Due to the large diversity of the salivary proteome, saliva may also have played a role in the atypical responders [31] and thus biological phenomena are also conceivable. However, it is evident that other factors not considered here also play a role, including demographic factors such as gender and age, but also psychological factors such as the motivation of the participants to change their diet [32,33]. One limitation of the study is the small number of cases, as, through the inclusion of more participants, subgroup analyses could have provided information about the causes of typical or atypical responses.…”

Periodontal pockets: Predictors for site‐related worsening after non‐surgical therapy—A long‐term retrospective cohort study

“…While many earlier studies assumed that inadequate oral hygiene on the part of the patients was the cause for early tooth loss, today the focus of discussion often revolves around lifestyle habits. Especially recently, many studies have shown that change in eating behaviour and special diet concepts bring about a significant reduction in gingival inflammation and BOP (Bartha, Exner, et al, 2022; Baumgartner et al, 2009; Graziani, Discepoli, et al, 2018; Woelber et al, 2019). Analogous to TM (T1), the sensitivity analysis also shows a retention of significance with reversal sign of the RC in this case, which again indicates that an unchanged PPD during SPC is associated with a residual PPD at T1 in the present cohort, although with a lower effect size (coefficient of −.687 in the context of PPD worsening, compared with .245 for PPD improvement).…”