Abstract
Poor dental status and chewing deficiencies have been associated with cognitive decline. Altered dietary habits and malnutrition have been suggested as linking mechanisms. The aim of the present review was thus to investigate if poor oral health, and in particular tooth loss and impaired masticatory function, may affect dietary selection and nutritional intake in older adults, and moreover, to assess if prosthodontic dental care may improve nutritional status. Extensive tooth loss may impair masticatory function. Several studies in older populations have shown that severe tooth loss and masticatory impairment are associated with limited consumption of various food types (especially fruits and vegetables), increased consumption of sugary and easy-to-chew foods, and lower dietary intake of fibre and vitamins. However, these findings are not consistently reported, due to methodological variation among studies, potential adverse causalities, and the multifactorial nature of food choices. On the other hand, a few interventional studies revealed that prosthetic rehabilitation of missing teeth, when accompanied by dietary counselling, may improve dietary habits and nutritional intake. Further research is required to improve current knowledge of these associations. Under the limitations of the current study, a functional dental arch of natural or artificial teeth is important for maintaining adequate chewing efficiency and ability, but this only partly contributes to food choices and nutritional status. The multifactorial nature of food choices necessitates the interprofessional collaboration of dental professionals, dietetics practitioners, and primary care providers to improve dietary habits and nutritional intake.
Highlights
Oral health is important for well-being as it is associated with pain, infection, xerostomia, problems with chewing, swallowing, speaking, smiling, communicating, and socializing [1,2]
The aim of the present review was to investigate if poor oral health, and in particular tooth loss and impaired masticatory function, may affect dietary selection and nutritional intake in older adults, and to assess if prosthodontic dental care may improve nutritional status
Oral disease is common in older adults, and involves tooth loss, poor oral hygiene, high prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease, defective prosthetic appliances or absence of prosthetic rehabilitation, hyposalivation, and various oral lesions, often associated with denture-wearing and with precancerous or cancerous states [1,2,3,4]
Summary
Oral health is important for well-being as it is associated with pain, infection, xerostomia, problems with chewing, swallowing, speaking, smiling, communicating, and socializing [1,2]. Some poor oral health indicators, and tooth loss and chewing deficiency, have been associated with nutritional impairment [8,9,10,11,12]. Based on the hypothesis that tooth loss and chewing problems may be associated with cognitive decline, mainly through altered dietary habits and malnutrition, the present review aims to investigate if oral parameters, and in particular tooth loss and impaired masticatory function, may affect dietary selection and nutritional intake in older adults. The null hypotheses are that: (1) poor oral health, and poor dental status, negatively affect masticatory function; (2) poor oral health, and poor dental status and masticatory impairment, induce altered food selection and malnutrition; and (3) prosthodontic care improves nutritional status
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
