Is There an Association Between Edentulism and Nutritional State?

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Is There an Association Between Edentulism and Nutritional State? FULL TEXT • Brian Hutton, BSc • • Jocelyne Feine, DDS, HDR • • José Morais, MD, FRCPC, CSPG • A b s t r a c t Edentulous people have difficulty chewing foods that are hard or tough in texture, even when wearing well-made dentures. These individuals typically modify their diets to compensate for loss of oral function. This practice leads to the question of whether the diet of edentulous individuals is adequate to maintain good general health. This overview summarizes articles that describe the changes in diet associated with edentulism. Such changes include reductions in fruits, vegetables, meats and other hard-to-chew foods and are associated with compromised nutrition. The evidence suggests that edentulous individuals lack specific nutrients and, as a result, may be at risk for various health disorders. The authors have recently shown that mandibular prostheses supported by only 2 implants may significantly improve nutritional status in edentulous patients. MeSH Key Words: aged; mouth, edentulous/complications; nutrition Related information:
Oral health and nutrition -- Position of ADA (http://www.eatright.org/aoral.html) Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General (http://www.nidr.nih.gov/sgr/sgrohweb/home.htm) World Center for Dental Implantology (http://www.enexus.com/dental-implant/implant_info.htm) The Oral Health of Older Americans (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/agingtrends/03oral.pdf) Oral disorders, systemic health, well-being and the quality of life (http://www.caphd-acsdp.org/oh-summa.pdf)
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