Calcium intake is associated with decreased prevalence of periodontal disease in young Japanese women

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.