Are changes in periodontal status linked to starch consumption?

Investigators have examined whether starch intake may impact periodontal status.

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, the investigators analyzed the outcomes of 1,369 patients aged 30 to 82 years who participated in the Finnish Health 2000 survey. The patients completed food frequency questionnaires — in which they reported their consumption of potatoes, fried potatoes, roots and tubers, pasta, whole grains, legumes and total starches — and underwent clinical examination at baseline and again at 2004/2005 and/or 2011.

The investigators discovered that starch intake at baseline was not correlated with changes in the number of teeth with periodontal pocketing of 4 millimeters or more. However, baseline intake of whole grains was found to improve periodontal status.

Read more: Journal of Clinical Periodontology

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