Controversies, perspectives, and clinical implications of nutrition in periodontal disease.

Many controversies concerning the role of nutrition in periodontal disease and problems in the design and analysis of nutrition-periodontal disease studies have been reviewed. In addition, recent advances in the interactions of nutrition, host defense, and infection have been conceptually related to the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. Finally, nutritional factors relevant to the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with periodontal disease have been discussed. The concepts developed with respect to experimental design and the host defenses approach to periodontal disease, will hopefully serve to encourage definitive studies which may delineate a more precise role for nutrition in periodontal disease.