Host response, obesity, and oral health

Proper food choices are part of preventing or reducing the risk of dental caries and periodontal disease. A significant association has been proven between oral diseases and the incidence of systemic diseases. Obesity, just like smoking, is one of the major risk factors for oral disease and is a serious social problem that has reached epidemic proportions in many developed countries. The results of studies on periodontitis confirm the relationship between the values of body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of periodontal diseases. Adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ and it performs many important functions in the body, such as thermal isolation and protection, storage, and secretion. Many cytokines are secreted proportionally to the amount of fat present and are actively involved in the metabolism of the whole system, including the functioning of the immune system. Therefore, obesity may alter the response of the host to the antigens derived from bacterial plaque, and thus cause disturbances in the inflammatory response in the course of periodontal disease.