Mediterranean diet linked to healthier teeth and gums in children
A diet rich in antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and anti-inflammatory compounds supports the immune function and reduces inflammation
Children who adhere more closely to the Mediterranean diet tend to have fewer decayed, missing and filled teeth, and healthier gums, a study has found.
The findings, drawn from a detailed cross-sectional investigation of 160 Turkish schoolchildren, add a fresh dimension to the growing body of evidence linking whole-diet patterns, rather than single nutrients, to oral health outcomes in young people.
The study was conducted by Gülsevim Oda of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University and Emine Merve Ekici of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Health Sciences in Ankara.
Their work set out to answer the question: do family-level lifestyle practices, dietary quality and body weight leave a visible signature in a child’s mouth? To find out, the researchers recruited children aged six to thirteen years and combined clinical dental examinations with validated questionnaires assessing diet and household habits, along with anthropometric measurements of body composition.
The Mediterranean diet is rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and anti-inflammatory compounds from olive oil, fresh produce, legumes, and fish, all of which may support immune function and reduce the inflammatory burden that drives gingival disease.
Whole foods requiring chewing also stimulate saliva production, which buffers acids and helps remineralize enamel, while the diet’s characteristic low intake of free sugars deprives cariogenic bacteria of their preferred substrate.
By contrast, diets dominated by ultra-processed foods provide a steady supply of fermentable carbohydrates that fuel acid production by oral bacteria, eroding enamel and promoting the dysbiosis associated with both caries and periodontal inflammation.
Adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern was measured using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents, widely known by its abbreviation KIDMED. The family environment was assessed with the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Screening Tool, or FNPA, which captures household practices such as meal patterns, food availability, screen time limits, and opportunities for physical activity.
Together, these tools allowed the investigators to look beyond the individual child and examine the family context in which eating and activity behaviours are formed.
Each child underwent a dental examination in which researchers recorded caries experience using the standard indices: DMFT and DMFS for primary and permanent teeth. Periodontal status was evaluated with the gingival index and the plaque index. Body weight status was expressed as a BMI-for-age z-score, a measure that accounts for a child’s age and sex when comparing body mass index against population reference data.
Just over half of the participants, 52.5 percent, showed moderate adherence to the Mediterranean diet, while 29.4 percent of the children were classified as obese. Children eating a more Mediterranean-style diet had less gum inflammation and less plaque on their teeth.