The eminence of nutrition in periodontal health and therapy—a review

Periodontal disease is one of the most common diseases of the oral cavity, which occurs as the result of infection and inflammation of the gingiva and the alveolar bone induced by microbial colonization, resulting in the destruction of the tooth-supporting structures. It is influenced by a number of factors, wherein nutrition plays an important role. The availability of an appropriate source of nutrients for the host determines the viability of the periodontal tissues in both health and illness. Nutrition is potentially a modifiable risk factor that may contribute to or mitigate the underlying oxidative stress in periodontitis. Diet enriched with macro- and micro-nutrients has a positive effect on the healing of the periodontal tissues after surgery, periodontal regeneration, and immune modulation. The deficiency of any of these nutrients in our daily lives might have a detrimental effect on the health of periodontal tissues and aggravate periodontitis brought on by other systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus. The aim of this review is to acquaint the importance of nutrition over long-term maintenance of periodontal health and its key role in periodontal healing after therapy. The therapeutic implications of nutrition for patients receiving various types of periodontal therapy and the dietary modulation impacting immunological functions have also been addressed in this review.