eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal 0974-6242 2026-03-25 19 1 34 49 10.13005/bpj/3335 71069 article Sameena Parveen 1 Mohammed Mousa Hassan Bakri 1 Samar Saeed Khan 1 Swetha Vempalli 1 Reghunathan S.Preethanath 2 Mohammed Nazish Alam 2 Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Department of Physical Sciences, College of Science, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Periodontal disease is initiated by dysbiosis of the oral microbiome and sustained host inflammatory responses. Dietary patterns and intermittent fasting may influence oral microbial ecology and periodontal inflammation through microbiological and host-mediated mechanisms. This review synthesizes current evidence on how dietary patterns and intermittent fasting affect the oral microbiome and modulate periodontal inflammatory processes. A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify literature published between January 2000 and October 2025. The search included studies addressing dietary patterns and nutrition, periodontal disease and the oral microbiome, and intermittent fasting or caloric restriction. Human clinical studies, observational studies, animal models, and in vitro investigations examining associations between diet or fasting, oral microbial composition, periodontal inflammation, and host immune pathways were reviewed and narratively synthesized. Diets high in refined carbohydrates were associated with oral dysbiosis, oxidative stress, and increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, whereas fiber-rich, antioxidant-dense, and micronutrient-adequate dietary patterns supported microbial diversity, maintained epithelial barrier integrity, and reduced periodontal inflammation. Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction influenced periodontal inflammatory pathways by improving insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial efficiency, redox balance, and autophagy. Animal studies demonstrated reductions in periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss, while limited human studies reported favorable changes in inflammatory markers. Dietary modulation and intermittent fasting may therefore influence periodontal inflammation through microbiome-mediated and host-metabolic mechanisms, however well-designed clinical studies integrating standardized fasting protocols, oral microbiome profiling, and validated periodontal outcomes are required to clarify their translational relevance. https://biomedpharmajournal.org/vol19no1/dietary-patterns-and-intermittent-fasting-as-modulators-of-the-oral-microbiome-and-periodontal-inflammation-a-narrative-review/ Disease Diet Fasting Intermittent Inflammation Oral microbiome Oral gut axis Periodontal disease Nutrition