Hazards of soft modern food on the periodontium of adult albino rats

Background The ever‑increasing widespread use of modern fast food with its soft consistency strongly argues for its deleterious effects on the periodontium ligament (PDL). Aim The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of soft diet consistency on the integrity of the periodontium of adult Albino rats and its reversibility by shifting into normal diet consistency. Materials and methods A total of 15 adult male Albino rats, 6 weeks of age were used. The animals were divided randomly into three equal groups; control group received hard diet for 6 weeks, the experimental group received soft diet for a period of 6 weeks while the recovery group received soft diet as experimental group and then changed to hard ordinary diet for another 4 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, all animals were anaesthetized and the mandible was dissected then the animals were euthanized. The periodontium of the molar region was examined by light microscope and scanning electron microscope. The thickness of PDL was also calculated and statistically analyzed. Results Soft diet administration in the experimental group led to thick and proliferated junctional epithelium, dissimilarity of the width of the PDL on both sides of the root, bony projections at the wide side of the PDL, disorganized PDL bundles and resorption of alveolar bone, cementum and dentin at the narrow side of the PDL. In the recovery group, some improvement of the periodontium was evident as detected by light and scanning electron microscope examinations. Statistical analysis revealed that PDL thickness decreased significantly in the experimental group compared to other groups. Conclusion The soft consistency of modern fast food disturbs the structural integrity of the periodontium and their hazards can be prevented by avoiding fast food consumption.