Objective:

To assess the association between dietary lycopene intake and the risk of severe periodontitis among older US adults, considering racial and sex differences.

Key Findings:

• 48.7% of participants had some degree of periodontitis; 77.9% reported insufficient dietary lycopene intake.
• Severe periodontitis was less common among individuals with sufficient lycopene intake (2.4%) compared to those with insufficient intake (6.5%).
• Non-Hispanic Black participants were nearly three times more likely to have severe periodontitis than non-Hispanic White participants.
• Women had a lower risk of severe periodontitis compared to men, particularly among non-Hispanic White participants.

Interpretation:

Adequate lycopene intake is associated with a significantly lower likelihood of severe periodontitis, highlighting dietary intake as a modifiable risk factor, especially among non-Hispanic White individuals.

Limitations:

• Cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
• NHANES data does not capture dental insurance coverage or routine preventive care.
• Lycopene intake assessed without distinguishing food from supplements.
• Small number of participants with severe periodontitis may affect subgroup analyses.

Conclusion:

Dietary lycopene intake may be an important factor for periodontal health in older adults, suggesting the need for race- and sex-specific dietary approaches in prevention strategies.