Oxidative balance scores in Korean adults are associated with periodontitis.

Background: The Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) is a comprehensive metric that assesses the state of a person's oxidative balance. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the oxidative balance score and moderate and severe periodontitis in a representative sample of Korean adults.

Methods: Healthcare big data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018) was used, and 16,489 adults aged ≥19 years were included. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the effect of sex-specific oxidative balance scores on periodontitis.

Results: In comparison with participants with a lower oxidative balance score, those with a higher oxidative balance score had a lower incidence of moderate and severe periodontitis (p < 0.05). After adjusting for covariates, the oxidative balance score was negatively associated with moderate (odds ratio [OR] = 0.952; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.934-0.971) and severe (OR = 0.958; 95% CI: 0.931-0.986) periodontitis; however, the result was not significant for severe periodontitis in women's (OR = 0.975; 95% CI: 0.934-1.018). Our study showed a statistically significant association between OBS and moderate and severe periodontitis, the small effect size should be interpreted with caution.

Conclusions: The oxidative balance score was associated with moderate and severe periodontitis in Korean adults. Therefore, managing this score may help reduce the risk of periodontitis.