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Health & Nutrition
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Edentulism and nutritional status in a biracial sample of wellfunctioning,
community-dwelling elderly: the Health, Aging, and
Body Composition Study
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Background. Diet plays a key role in disease prevention in older age. The aims of this report were to review the causes and consequences of a poor diet in later life and its impact with oral health.
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Conclusions. Energy requirements decrease with age; however, many factors, including poor oral health, loss of appetite and illness, may compromise energy intake.
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| Absorbing capacity may reduce with age; therefore, to prevent deficiencies of micronutrients, a nutrient-dense diet is essential. |
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Clinical Implications. The first signs of micronutrient deficiencies often are manifest in the oral tissues. Consequently, the dentist has an important role in the early diagnosis of malnutrition. Furthermore, oral health is important in maximizing older patients’ functional capacity to consume a health and varied diet.
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Reduced dietary intake in older people may be caused by many factors, increasing the risk of losing muscle tissue and experiencing malnutrition. Strategies to maintain an adequate dietary intake are important. Despite a modest reduction in energy requirements, the need for micronutrients is not reduced in this population. Older people need a nutrient-dense diet, and health care professionals should discourage the consumption of foods with empty calories.
Compromised oral health is one of many barriers to achieving an adequate food intake in older age; therefore, optimizing a patient’s dental status is important. Dentists should be aware of the early signs of nutritional deficiencies, which often manifest first in the oral tissues. They should be observant with regard to other indicators of poor nutrition, such as weight loss, and refer at-risk patients to a registered dietitian for further assessment and intervention.
Health care professionals can develop successful prevention and treatment strategies only through an increased awareness and understanding of the causes of poor nutritional aged generations. Good professional relationships between registered dietitians and dental professionals are essential to this process. |
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