All things micro – the role of micronutrients in periodontal treatment of risk patients

There is a growing sense of importance of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in the homeostasis and health of the human organism, but there is little data on which micro-nutrients are important for the oral homeostasis. Special attention will be given to a field of dentistry and medicine that is called nutrigenomics, a growing field of research that is discovering how the polymorphism of some genes might influence the efficacy of the nutritive transport, and the enzymes that adapt the vitamins to optimize their use in the metabolism. Since many, if not all, micronutrients show an independent correlation to the prevalence of periodontitis, it seems they might have an important role in the prevention and treatment of the periodontal disease, especially in risk patients, such as diabetic patients or patients with cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the use of phytotherapy as means of obtaining and maintaining oral homeostasis will be discussed. As dental medicine meets new challenges, pandemic notwithstanding, some novel approaches in the use of natural products in dentistry will be presented. The participants will be encouraged to consider some all-round and holistic approaches in treating their periodontitis patients, including their habits, nutrition, and supplements in the treatment of a chronic and resistant disease.

Learning Objectives

There is a strong need for a more “natural” approach to therapy and healing of periodontal disease, but there is not enough information on the possibilities that we may incorporate a “healthy lifestyle” in our everyday practice. This short course gives an insight to the roles of some of the micronutrients in the oral ecosystem and also discovers which are the potential sources of micronutrients beneficial to the oral health.