Inadequate anti-inflammatory diets are associated with an increased risk of tooth loss

Objectives: Anti-inflammatory dietary patterns and their association with tooth loss remain underexplored, despite extensive research on diet and chronic disease. This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary inflammatory potential and tooth loss due to dental disease. Methods: Data from the 2015-2016 and 2017-March 2020 waves of the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. A total of 3,828 adults aged ≥20 years who underwent oral examinations and provided two days of dietary recall data for the calculation of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), which is a measure of dietary inflammatory potential, were included. Lower DII scores indicate adherence to an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern. Multivariable linear and negative binomial regression models were used for the analyses. Results: Compared with individuals in the lowest DII quintile (indicative of an anti-inflammatory diet), those in the highest quintile (pro-inflammatory diet) exhibited a significantly higher mean ratio (MR) of teeth lost: 1.387 (95% CI: 1.128-1.705). This trend was consistently observed in both the 40–59 and ≥60 years age groups. Conclusions: This study found a significant inverse association between anti-inflammatory dietary intake and tooth loss. Targeted dietary counseling and preventive education are essential for reducing the risk of tooth loss in individuals with high consumption of pro-inflammatory nutrients.