A combination of omega-3 and low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) produced results similar to antibiotics in treating severe periodontitis, according to a study published in May in the Journal of Periodontology. The research, conducted by teams from Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, Guarulhos University, the University of Taubaté, Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry at USP in Brazil, and Harvard University in the United States, followed 109 patients with advanced periodontitis over one year.
The study assigned participants randomly into four groups. All received subgingival instrumentation—scaling—as standard treatment. One group received placebos; another was treated with metronidazole and amoxicillin for 14 days; a third group took three grams per day of omega-3 plus daily aspirin for six months; and a fourth group combined both antibiotic therapy and supplementation. Patients were evaluated after three, six, and twelve months.
By the end of the follow-up period, about 58% of those treated with antibiotics achieved the clinical goal set by researchers—no more than four remaining deep periodontal pockets—while 57.7% who received omega-3 and ASA also reached this target. In contrast, only 23.1% in the placebo group met this outcome. Combining antibiotics with supplementation did not yield additional benefits.
Nídia Cristina Castro dos Santos, first author of the study and professor at Einstein hospital, said, "Patients with severe disease have very deep pockets, which act as reservoirs for bacteria associated with the disease. It's a very challenging condition to treat." She added, "The use of antibiotics isn't considered the gold standard of treatment... their use should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis due to risks related to bacterial resistance and possible adverse effects." Castro also noted that omega-3 contributes to inflammation resolution rather than blocking inflammatory pathways like traditional drugs do.
Magda Feres, lead author from Harvard School of Dental Medicine and UNG's Graduate Program in Dentistry, said, "The combination of omega-3 and low-dose aspirin achieved clinical benefits comparable to those of the metronidazole and amoxicillin protocol... opening up a real alternative for those who can't take antibiotics." Feres highlighted concerns about antibiotic resistance as an important context for these findings: "Demonstrating that it's possible to treat severe periodontitis by modulating the body's own response is new and relevant information that helps preserve antibiotics for when they are truly indispensable." Both authors cautioned that further research is needed before routine changes are made in clinical practice.
