Exercise and omega-3 may help prevent jawbone loss caused by a tooth infection. Digest
When a tooth infection spreads to the root, the body's immune response can become overly aggressive, destroying surrounding bone and tissue. Scientists at São Paulo State University tested whether two accessible lifestyle factors, swimming and omega-3 fatty acids, could reduce this damage.
Thirty male rats were divided into three groups: an exercise‑only group, a group that combined exercise with omega-3 supplementation, and a control group without exercise or omega-3 supplementation. The exercising rats swam for an hour a day, five days a week, for six weeks. The combined group also received daily oral omega-3 supplementation (60% EPA and 40% DHA) at a dose of 40 mg per kilogram of body weight. To induce infection, the researchers drilled small holes in the chewing surfaces of a few teeth, exposing the tooth pulp to oral bacteria.
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Exercise and omega-3 clearly improved how their bodies handled the infection:
- Inflammation was strongest in control rats, while both intervention groups showed milder immune responses around the tooth root. Fewer immune cells and lower signals of pro-inflammatory molecules were seen: tumor necrosis factor-alpha dropped with exercise alone, while interleukin-17 declined only when omega-3 was added.
- In rats that exercised, bacteria remained more confined in the tooth's root canal, with fewer reaching nearby tissues. When omega-3 was added, no bacteria were detected outside the tooth root.
- Micro–CT scans showed less bone loss in both intervention groups, with the greatest preservation in the combined group, which lost roughly one-quarter less bone than control animals.
- Fewer bone‑resorbing cells called osteoclasts appeared in both exercise groups, especially when omega-3 was included.
- The combined group also showed more immature collagen fibers, a sign of ongoing tissue repair.
Together, these findings suggest that regular moderate exercise helps regulate infection-related inflammation in dental tissue, while omega-3 fatty acids amplify this benefit by further suppressing inflammatory activity, promoting new collagen formation, and potentially exerting antimicrobial effects.
Although the study was conducted in rats, it highlights a simple, low-cost strategy that warrants further investigation as a potential adjunct to both the prevention and treatment of infection-related bone loss in dental care. Learn more about evidence-based strategies to reduce inflammation in this short clip.