Evaluation of the relationship between the inflammatory potential of diet and oral and periodontal health in pediatric patients

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of individual factors (sociodemographic characteristics, oral health habits, anthropometric measurements), dietary patterns, and the dietary inflammatory potential (C-DII) on oral and dental health outcomes in healthy children aged 6 to 14 years. Material and Method: This study was conducted with 300 children and their parents who attended the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University for examination and treatment. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices, food frequency questionnaires, and three-day dietary records were collected from participants. During the clinical examination, DMFT, dmft, PI, GI, and BOP were recorded. Nutrient intake was analyzed using the BeBiS 8.1 software based on three-day dietary records, and C-DII scores were subsequently calculated. Statistical analyses were performed using the Jamovi software (version 2.3.28). Data were analyzed using Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation, and regression analyses, with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: C-DII scores showed a negative correlation with DMFT (r=-0,122, p=0,035) and a positive correlation with PI (r=0,125, p=0,03). Among children aged 6–10 years, significant differences were observed across C-DII quartiles in PI (F3,152=4,33, p=0,011), GI (F3,152=3,74, p=0,011), and BOP (F3,152=2,76, p=0,041); in the 11–14 age group, a significant difference in GI (F3,140=3,50, p=0,021) was found. Nutrient intake and food frequency were significantly associated with oral health indices (DMFT, dmft, PI, GI, and BOP). Children who brushed their teeth before bedtime had significantly lower PI (p<0,01), GI (p<0,01), and BOP (p=0,01) scores. Conversely, those experiencing bleeding during brushing had significantly higher DMFT (p<0,01), GI (p<0,01), and BOP (p<0,01) scores. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the number of siblings (p=0,005), child's age (p<0,001), BMI (p<0,001), and both DMFT and BOP scores. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the inflammatory potential of the diet significantly affects periodontal health in childhood. Diets with anti-inflammatory characteristics may contribute to improvements in periodontal parameters. Therefore, the early adoption of anti-inflammatory dietary habits is recommended for children. Keywords: Anti-inflammatory diet, Dietary inflammatory index, Nutrition, Oral health, Pediatric dentistry