Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research
Calcium intake is associated with decreased prevalence of periodontal disease in young Japanese women
Published in: Nutrition Journal | Issue 1/2014
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Background
We investigated the relationships between calcium intake and the prevalence of periodontal disease.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 1162 women with a mean age of 31.5 years. Information on dietary factors was collected using a diet history questionnaire during pregnancy. Oral examinations were performed between one and twelve months postpartum. Periodontal disease was defined as positive if a woman had at least one tooth with a pocket depth of 4.0 mm or deeper. Adjustment was made for age, region of residence, smoking status, toothbrushing frequency, use of an interdental brush, household income, and education.
Results
Compared with the lowest quartile of calcium intake, the highest quartile was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of periodontal disease; however, the inverse linear trend fell just short of the significance level: the adjusted odds ratio was 0.53 (95% confidence interval: 0.30–0.94, P for trend =0.07).
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that higher calcium intake may be inversely associated with the prevalence of periodontal disease.