Healthy lifestyles are associated with a better response to periodontal therapy: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the association between lifestyle behaviours and clinical periodontal outcomes following Steps 1/2 of periodontal therapy. Methods: A total of 120 subjects with untreated Stage II/III periodontitis participated in this study. At baseline, questionnaires were administered to assess the following lifestyle behaviours: adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD), physical activity (PA) and stress levels, sleep quality, smoking and alcohol use. Participants received Steps 1/2 of periodontal therapy and were re-evaluated after 3 months. A composite outcome of the endpoint of therapy (i.e., no sites with probing pocket depth [PPD] ≥4 mm with bleeding on probing, and no sites with PPD ≥ 6 mm) was regarded as the primary outcome. Simple and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between lifestyle behaviours and clinical periodontal outcomes. Disease severity at baseline, body mass index, diabetes, household disposable income and plaque control were considered as confounders. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed significantly lower odds of achieving the endpoint of therapy in subjects with poor sleep quality (odds ratio [OR] = 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03–0.47; p