Antioxidants in oral health addresses how compounds that neutralize reactive oxygen species affect the tissues of the mouth, including the gingiva, periodontal ligament, oral mucosa, and saliva. The oral cavity faces continual oxidative challenge from mastication, microbial biofilms, inflammation, and dietary and en…
Antioxidants in oral health addresses how compounds that neutralize reactive oxygen species affect the tissues of the mouth, including the gingiva, periodontal ligament, oral mucosa, and saliva. The oral cavity faces continual oxidative challenge from mastication, microbial biofilms, inflammation, and dietary and environmental exposures, and oxidative stress is implicated in periodontal disease, mucosal lesions, and tissue breakdown driven by reactive oxygen species and inflammatory mediators. Saliva contains a measurable antioxidant capacity, contributed by enzymes and small molecules such as uric acid, glutathione, and ascorbate, that helps buffer this challenge, while enzymatic defenses including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase operate within oral tissues. Dietary and phytochemical antioxidants, among them vitamins C and E, carotenoids, polyphenols, and flavonoids, are studied for their potential to limit inflammation and oxidative damage in the periodontium. Research in this area characterizes antioxidant potency with radical-scavenging assays, total phenolic content, and total antioxidant capacity, and explores plant-derived compounds as candidate agents. Key scholarly questions include the value of salivary antioxidant status as a biomarker of oral disease, the relationship between systemic and local antioxidant defenses, and the extent to which raising antioxidant levels meaningfully alters periodontal and mucosal outcomes, an area where evidence remains incomplete.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 84 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Antioxidants in Oral Health, linking to each citing work.