The Association between Nutritional Alterations and Oral Lesions in a Pediatric Population: An Epidemiological Study.

Angela Pia Cazzolla,Vitantonio Lacarbonara,Stefania Cantore,Mario Dioguardi,Giuseppe Troiano,Michele Di Cosola,Annarosa De Franco,Riccardo Nocini,Vito Crincoli,Mariasevera Di Comite,Luigi Santacroce,Lorenzo Lo Muzio,Andrea Ballini,Roberto Lovero,Nunzio Francesco Testa,Iole Vozza

doi:10.1155/2021/9992451

Abstract

The oral conditions of an individual are the result of different factors, including the subject's genotype, oral hygiene habits, the type of diet, and lifestyle, such as smoking. Nutrition in the first years of life can affect dental health for a long time. To prevent mouth diseases, it is also important to eliminate unfavorable eating behaviour and to amplify protective ones. Eating habits, especially in pediatric age, are an easily modifiable and controllable factor, and diet, in addition to influencing the health of the oral cavity, plays a fundamental role in systemic health. Indeed, a sugar-rich diet can lead to conditions, such as diabetes, being overweight, and obesity. The present research was an epidemiological study, with the aim of highlighting some of the associations between nutrition and oral health. In particular, we studied those lesions of hard and soft tissues that are diagnosed most frequently by dentists: caries, enamel hypoplasia, periodontal disease, and aphotoxic lesions and their associations with nutritional deficiencies and excesses including proteins, vitamin A, vitamin D, B vitamins, and iron and calcium minerals. To perform this study, we recruited 70 patients from the pediatric and orthodontic clinics, aged between 3 and 15 years (y), with mean age of 10.4 y.o. The study was conducted by providing a questionnaire to pediatric patients' (supported from their parents or guardians) on individual eating habits, followed by an accurate oral cavity specialistic examination. The nutritional data were processed by using Grana Padano Observatory (OGP) software, freely provided online by the OPG. The statistical tests performed were the chi-square (χ2) for independence, and Cramér's V test was used to evaluate the associations between eating habits and oral pathologies. The results showed that certain nutritional vitamin deficiencies and nutritional excesses were associated with definite oral pathologies.

Highlights

The oral conditions of an individual are the result of various factors, such as the subject’s genotype, oral hygiene habits, type of diet, and any smoking habits [1,2,3]
The results showed the following deficiencies in the diet: calcium (67%), vitamin D (66%), iron (56%), vitamin A (30%), carbohydrates (23%), omega 3 (20%), lipids (17%), and vitamin C (16%)
The excesses of carbohydrates and saturated fats and the deficiencies of carbohydrates, lipids, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and omega 3 were present in subjects with a lower average age compared with those who were not characterized by such alterations

Summary

Introduction

The oral conditions of an individual are the result of various factors, such as the subject’s genotype, oral hygiene habits (i.e., toothbrushing), type of diet, and any smoking habits [1,2,3]. Unhealthy eating habits adversely affect both oral and general health. Foods that are harmful to general health can damage teeth and vice versa. Research has been focusing on the effect of nutrition on mucous membranes and hard dental tissues, which can be a systemic effect or a local effect, such as the effect of acidic foods and drinks on the teeth, which can be responsible for dental erosion in patients with good oral hygiene [8,9,10,11]. Changing one’s eating habits and lifestyle can lead to the improvement of oral and systemic conditions [12,13,14,15]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion