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.