Supplemental or dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of periodontitis: A meta-analysis

Aim: To evaluate the intervention effect of omega-3 fatty acids on changes in periodontal parameters. Materials and Methods: This meta-analysis included studies published in English language between 2010 and 2020, which were extracted from the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed databases. The effects of omega-3 fatty acid intervention were investigated using the amount of omega-3 intake, periodontal pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP). The random-effects model was generated for data analysis. To obtain robustness of the model, sensitivity analysis was implemented. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the intervention period for each parameter. Results: All 13 studies included in the meta-analysis were interventional, randomized controlled trials. Two studies implemented omega-3 fatty acid-rich diets, while 11 studies used supplements. Risk of bias was low, and publication bias was not shown. Meta-analysis showed a statistically significant PPD reduction (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.81, absolute mean difference [MD] = −0.44 mm), CAL gain (SMD = −0.77, MD = −0.51 mm), and BOP reduction (SMD = −0.65, MD = −9.45%) for the omega-3 fatty acid intervention overall. Conclusion: This study suggests that supplemental or dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of periodontitis may have a positive impact on the disease.