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Oral implications of the vegan diet: observational study
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate oral changes in subjects who have assumed a vegan diet for a long time (at least 18 months), that is to say, a diet completely lacking in meat and animal derivatives.
A sample of 15 subjects was analyzed, all from northern Italy and aged 24 to 60 year, composed of 11 men and 4 women who had been following a vegan diet for a minimum of 18 months to a maximum of 20 years. In parallel with the study sample, a control group (15 subjects) with the same criteria of age, sex, and place of origin all following an omnivorous diet was chosen. The sample answered a questionnaire that investigated their eating habits, the frequency with which they eat meals, the main foodstuffs assumed, oral hygiene habits, and any painful symptomatology of the teeth or more general problems in the oral cavity. The sample was then subject to objective examination in which the saliva pH was measured and the teeth were checked for demineralization of the enamel, white spots, and caries (using KaVo DIAGNOdent) with particular attention being paid to the localization of these lesions, and lastly, sounding was carried out to detect any osseous defects and periodontal pockets.
The study revealed greater incidence of demineralization and white spots in the vegan subjects compared to the omnivorous ones localized at the neck of the teeth and on the vestibular surfaces of dental elements (with the exception of the lower anterior group). The saliva pH, more acid in the omnivorous patients, ranged between four and six. Changes in oral conditions in both groups of subjects were observed.
In order to research into the cause-effect relationship of the vegan diet on the oral cavity effectively, the sample needs to be studied for a longer period of time and the results re-evaluated.
... A wellbalanced diet, rich in complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, is crucial for maintaining periodontal health (13). A vegetarian diet, in particular, has been associated with better periodontal outcomes (14). Smoking is another significant predisposing factor, leading to clinical attachment loss, bone loss, and eventual tooth loss (15). ...
... However, individuals consuming an unbalanced diet showed higher percentages of severe periodontitis (6.1%), moderate periodontitis (12.2%), and mild periodontitis (36.7%). Although diet is an important factor in overall health, its specific impact on periodontal disease in this study was not statistically significant, suggesting that other factors may play a more dominant role in this population (13,14). Stress, a known factor in many health conditions, did not show a significant association with periodontal disease in this study (p=0.871). ...
Background: Periodontitis, characterized by clinical attachment loss (CAL), is a prevalent global oral health issue leading to tooth loss. Various predisposing factors such as smoking, dietary habits, stress, and oral trauma are implicated in its development. Understanding these factors is crucial for targeted interventions and improved periodontal health outcomes. Objective: To assess the predisposing factors of periodontitis in individuals. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 individuals visiting the College of Dentistry, Sharif Medical and Dental College, Lahore. Data were collected by measuring clinical attachment loss. Patients were classified based on CAL into mild, moderate, and severe periodontitis categories. The Chi-square test was used to analyze associations between periodontitis severity and factors like smoking duration, betel quid chewing, stress, oral trauma, and an unbalanced diet. Results: A significant association was found between smoking duration and periodontitis (p=0.04). Individuals with a smoking history of over five years had higher rates of severe (51%) and moderate (18.4%) periodontitis compared to those with a history of less than five years (8.2%). Betel quid chewing (p=0.254), stress (p=0.871), oral trauma (p=0.557), and an unbalanced diet (p=0.883) were not significantly associated with periodontitis. Conclusion: Severe periodontitis was more prevalent in individuals with a smoking history of over five years and those consuming an unhealthy diet. Moderate periodontitis was more common in individuals without a betel quid chewing habit. Mild periodontitis was observed in those reporting stress-related gum or tooth pain and those with a history of oral trauma.
... In other words, a balanced intake of unprocessed complex carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals has a positive effect on periodontal health, as oxidative stress is removed through redox-cycling reactions by antioxidant nutrients, while the excessive intake of refined carbohydrates, non-vegetable proteins, and saturated fatty acids may increase oral inflammation, by stimulating inflammation through the production of ROS (H 2 O 2 , HOCL, OH + ) and oxidative stress [9]. Previous studies examining the relationship between dietary intake and periodontal health showed that those with a vegan diet had lower rates of gingival inflammation and better oral hygiene [10], and that, regardless of traditional risk factors, gingival and periodontal inflammation was associated with high-glycemic food consumption alone [11]. It has also been reported that whole grain consumption, without increasing total energy intake, may reduce the risk of gingivitis and periodontitis [12]. ...
... As such, studies regarding diet or nutrition related to periodontal disease have recently been reported [10][11][12][13]. However, studies targeting the middle-aged and older age groups, in which the prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing, are lacking. ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between diet quality and periodontal disease, in adults aged ≥40 years, using data from the 7th (2016–2018) Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES), representing South Koreans. The subjects of this study were 7935 people aged ≥40 years, who responded to the items in the Korea Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) and underwent periodontal examination. Complex sample univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted, to analyze the relationship between the diet quality and periodontal disease. The group with a low diet quality for energy intake balance, showed a higher risk of periodontal disease than the group with a high diet quality for energy intake balance, and it was confirmed that the diet quality in adults aged ≥40 years was related to periodontal disease. Therefore, regular diet evaluations, and the counseling of gingivitis and periodontitis patients by dental experts, will have a positive effect on the restoration and improvement of periodontal health in adults.
... The measurements of probing depth, bleeding on probing, and simplified oral hygiene index were notably lower in individuals following a raw vegan diet [31]. However, the link between vegetarianism and good periodontal health might be at the expense of the health of hard dental structures; Laffranchi et al. found a higher prevalence of demineralisation and white spots in the vegan participants compared to the omnivorous group [32]. Iwasaki et al. conducted a longitudinal study involving 264 Japanese participants, which revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between saturated fatty acids and the Fig. 6 Association between years of practice and knowledge scores among dental professionals occurrence of periodontal lesions [33]. ...
Background
The association between diet and oral health is complex, yet understanding the influence of nutrition on oral health among dental professionals is limited. This study aimed to assess the knowledge levels of dental professionals in Saudi Arabia regarding the relationship between diet and oral health.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 211 dental professionals in Saudi Arabia using an 18-item questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v23.0. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the mean, standard deviation (SD), and proportions. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test assessed data normality, while the Chi-squared test and post-hoc Tukey analysis were applied to evaluate associations between variables.
Results
The findings revealed that female practitioners (mean = 13.41, SD = 2.85) and older professionals had higher knowledge levels, with a total mean score of 12.33 (SD = 2.93). Significant correlations were observed between knowledge scores and age (ANOVA: F = 2.874; p = 0.024) and between knowledge scores and gender (t-test: t = 6.68, p < 0.001). Oral Medicine Specialists and Periodontists had the highest knowledge scores, with mean scores of 13.43 (SD = 2.87) and 13.63 (SD = 2.66), respectively, while General Dentists scored lower (mean = 10.49, SD = 3.12; ANOVA: F = 4.462; p < 0.001). Practitioners with less than five years of experience had significantly lower knowledge scores (mean = 11.14, SD = 3.23) compared to those with 5–10 years (mean = 13.40, SD = 2.34) and over 20 years of experience (mean = 12.69, SD = 2.22) (ANOVA: F = 5.016; p = 0.002).
Conclusion
Our findings reveal that dental professionals in Saudi Arabia have varying knowledge regarding the relationship between diet and oral health. While awareness exists, there are gaps in understanding the nutritional factors influencing oral health outcomes. Addressing these knowledge gaps through targeted educational interventions is essential, given the crucial role dental professionals play in promoting oral health and educating patients on the importance of nutrition. Enhancing this knowledge will improve patient care and contribute to better community health outcomes through informed preventive strategies and public health initiatives.
... Further, cluster analyses showed that carnivores could be significantly distinguished from vegetarians, whereas seafood omnivores and beef and lamb omnivores could not be distinguished due to the similarity in community composition. This may be due to the fact that seafood and beef and lamb are both high protein foods, whereas vegetarians have a predominantly fibrous diet (Laffranchi et al., 2010), and different dietary habits may result in different salivary microbiomes (Cato et al., 2023). ...
Introduction
Revealing individual characteristics is supportive for identifying individuals in forensic crime. As saliva is one of the most common biological samples used in crime scenes, it is important to make full use of the rich individual information contained in saliva. The aim of this study was to explore the application of the microbiome in forensic science by analysing differences in the salivary microbiome and metabolome of healthy individuals with different dietary habits.
Methods
We performed 16S rDNA sequencing analysis based on oral saliva samples collected from 12 vegetarians, 12 seafood omnivores and 12 beef and lamb omnivores. Non-targeted metabolomics analyses were also performed based on saliva samples from healthy individuals.
Results
The results showed that the dominant flora of vegetarians was dominated by Neisseria (belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria), while seafood omnivores and beef and lamb omnivores were dominated by Streptococcus (belonging to the phylum Firmicutes). NDMS-based and cluster analyses showed that vegetarian dieters were significantly differentiated from meat dieters (seafood omnivores and beef and lamb omnivores), which may be related to the fact that high-fiber diets can create a different salivary flora structure. Variants were also detected in salivary metabolic pathways, including positive correlations with Lipid metabolism, Amino acid metabolism, Carbohydrate metabolism, and Nucleotide metabolism in vegetarians, and correlations in seafood omnivores. In order to select salivary microorganisms and metabolic markers that can distinguish different dietary profiles, a random forest classifier model was constructed in this study, and the results showed that individuals with different dietary profiles could be successfully distinguished based on the core genera and metabolites such as Streptococcus, Histidinyl-Valine.
Conclusion
Our study provides a supportive basis for the application of salivary polyomics in order to reveal the dietary characteristics of individuals for forensic investigation and crime solving.
... Bitki temelli beslenenlerin asidik tükürüğü (taze ve çiğ sebze, meyve tüketimi sonucu), özellikle veganlarda, yüksek lifli yiyecekleri çiğnemenin mekanik etkisiyle birlikte, dişlerdeki çürüksüz lezyonların yüksek insidansının ana nedeni olduğu belirtilmiştir. 33 Yüksek format molekülü seviyelerinin ise et tüketimi sonucu aminoasit metabolizması ve oral bakterilerin etkinliğiyle ortaya çıktığı düşünülmektedir. 32 Mevcut literatüre göre, bireylerin "sağlıklı" durumunun oral mikrobiyal popülasyonların yapısı üzerinde güçlü bir etkiye sahip olduğu görülmektedir. ...
... I G U R E 3 (a) Position for the frontal vestibular sector and (b) photograph of the frontal vestibular sector. Suffering from a systemic illness or eating disorders;− taking medication or therapy; and − vegan diet(Laffranchi et al., 2010). ...
Objectives:
The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of teledentistry (based on a home intraoral imaging protocol) in detecting dental caries and to assess the accuracy of this method compared to clinical examination.
Methods:
Forty-three patients were recruited for the study. Using a protocol for taking intraoral photographs at home with a smartphone proposed by the Dental School of Verona, a remote diagnosis of dental caries (TD) was performed by an experienced dentist. The same caries sites were also assessed by clinical diagnosis (CD) by a second experienced dentist. Ten photos were taken at home in five different perspectives, with and without flash, and emailed to one of the authors. The best five photos were selected for telediagnosis. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II) score was used for caries diagnosis. Statistical tests were performed: Sensitivity and specificity of TD, the positive and negative predictive value of TD (PPV-NPV), and Spearman correlation to evaluate the relationship between the scores of TD and CD.
Results:
A total of 430 photographs were submitted; TD was performed on 215 photographs and 43 patients were visited. A total of 1201 teeth were analyzed. The sensitivity of TD was 74.0, the specificity was 99.1, the PPV of TD was 91.7, and the NPV was 96.4. The Spearman correlation was 0.816, showing a very strong correlation between the values obtained with TD and CD.
Conclusions:
The study showed good potential for TD, which proved to be a feasible method to combine with routine caries diagnosis in daily preventive dentistry practice.
Background: The association between diet and oral health is complex, yet understanding the influence of nutrition on oral health among dental professionals is limited. This study aimed to assess the knowledge levels of dental professionals in Saudi Arabia regarding the relationship between diet and oral health. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 211 dental professionals using an 18-item questionnaire. Statistical Analysis SPSS v23.0 was used for analysis. Yes = 1; No/I don't know = 0 for a knowledge score (0–18). The mean, SD, and proportions were calculated. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test determined normality. The Chi-squared test and post-hoc Tukey analysis assessed relationships. Results: The findings revealed that female practitioners (mean = 13.41, SD = 2.85) and older professionals had higher knowledge levels, with a total mean score of 12.33 (SD = 2.93). Significant correlations were observed between knowledge scores and age (ANOVA: F = 2.874; p = 0.024) and between knowledge scores and gender (t-test: t = 6.68, p < 0.001). Oral Medicine Specialists and Periodontists had the highest knowledge scores, with mean scores of 13.43 (SD = 2.87) and 13.63 (SD = 2.66), respectively, while General Dentists scored lower (mean = 10.49, SD = 3.12; ANOVA: F = 4.462; p < 0.001). Practitioners with less than five years of experience had significantly lower knowledge scores (mean = 11.14, SD = 3.23) compared to those with 5–10 years (mean = 13.40, SD = 2.34) and over 20 years of experience (mean = 12.69, SD = 2.22) (ANOVA: F = 5.016; p = 0.002). Conclusion: Our findings reveal that dental professionals in Saudi Arabia have varying knowledge regarding the relationship between diet and oral health. While awareness exists, there are gaps in understanding the nutritional factors influencing oral health outcomes. Addressing these knowledge gaps through targeted educational interventions is essential, given the crucial role dental professionals play in promoting oral health and educating patients on the importance of nutrition. Enhancing this knowledge will improve patient care and contribute to better community health outcomes through informed preventive strategies and public health initiatives.
Objective:
This systematic review aimed to evaluate the influence of the nature of diet (vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore) on the oral health status in adults.
Methods:
This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed using the PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases [PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL], online search engines (Google Scholar), research portals, and hand searches were performed systematically to identify studies. The last literature search was performed February 1st, 2021. Studies were included if they reported on the influence of the nature of diet on the oral health status (oral hygiene, periodontal health, dental status, and salivary function) in adults, by two investigators. Inter-investigator reliability was evaluated using Kappa (κ) statistics. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020211567.
Results:
Twenty-two studies were included for data extraction and final analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that the bleeding on probing measure was higher in omnivores (Z = -4.057, p < 0.0001; 95% CI: -0.684, -0.238; I2 = 0.0%) and the overall periodontal health was significantly better in vegan/vegetarians than omnivores (Z = -2.632, p = 0.008; 95% CI: -0.274, -0.073; I2 = 29.7%). Vegan/vegetarians demonstrated more dental erosion (Z = 3.325, p = 0.001; 95% CI: 0.170, 0.659; I2 = 0.0%). In adults over 60 years old, the prevalence of caries was higher in omnivores (Z = 3.244, p = 0.001; 95% CI: 0.092, 0.371; I2 = 0.0%), while complete edentulism was more prevalent in vegetarians (Z = -4.147, p < 0.0001; 95% CI: -0.550, -0.197; I2 = 0.0%).
Conclusions:
This review reveals that adults on an omnivore diet may be associated with a higher risk for periodontal problems and dental caries, while vegetarians/vegans may be associated with a higher risk for dental erosion.
Purpose of review
To evaluate the impact of healthy dietary patterns compared to the Western diet on periodontal indices in adults, used in the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases.
Recent findings
Four RCTs and seven case–control studies were included on a critical appraisal of the evidence using GRADE, based on random effects meta-analysis by methodological subgroups for periodontal indices, and a narrative synthesis. There is a clinically significant reduction on bleeding on probing, Gingival Index and periodontal inflamed surface area, Calculus and Debris Index and incidence of tooth loss on healthy dietary patterns group, with a very low to moderate certainty of the evidence. Methodological complementation between included studies allows to consider “real-world data” that RCTs ignore, which have a significant effect on this association. Although biological plausibility is reported, more studies are required to clarify these results.
Summary
healthy dietary patterns could impact on periodontal health–disease status, reducing the global burden of periodontal diseases by improving the results of the standard care actions, such as toothbrushing, interdental cleaning and periodontal therapy. Further research is required to improve the quality of the evidence.
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