International Journal of Dental Sciences

Authors
Alberto Rodríguez-Archilla, Daniel Andrés, Padrón-Curiel

Abstract
Background: Some studies indicate that physical exercise is associated with a lower prevalence of the periodontal disease. Similarly, subjects with a higher maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) are less likely to develop periodontal disease. Objective: To assess the influence of physical exercise on periodontal disease. Search and Selection Methods: A search for studies on physical exercise and periodontal disease was conducted in the following databases: PubMed (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library), Web of Science (WoS), and Scopus. Data Analysis: For dichotomous outcomes, the estimates of effects of an intervention were expressed as odds ratios (OR) using Mantel-Haenszel (M-H) method, and for continuous outcomes, the estimates of effects of an intervention were expressed as mean differences (MD) using the inverse variance (IV) method, both with 95% confidence intervals. Results: 20 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Regular physical exercise reduced by 23% the periodontitis risk (OR:0.77; p=0.001). Overweight-obese patients were 1.86 times more likely to have periodontitis (OR:1.86; p<0.01). Regarding periodontal parameters, subjects who performed regular physical exercise had significantly lower levels (p<0.05) of probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), and clinical attachment loss (CAL). In contrast, the gingival (GI) and plaque (PI) indices did not vary markedly due to physical exercise, with no statistical significance (p>0.05). Conclusions: Regular physical exercise improves periodontal status and reduces the risk of periodontitis.