Journal
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR GERONTOLOGIE UND GERIATRIE
Volume 38, Issue 5, Pages 334-341Publisher
DR DIETRICH STEINKOPFF VERLAG
DOI: 10.1007/s00391-005-0329-3
Keywords
dental state; tooth loss; chewing function; oral health; nutrition; saliva
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The loss of natural teeth impairs essentially the chewing function and can only partly be restored by the insertion of dental prostheses. Equally, xerostomia and dysphagia may aggravate the nutritional intake in older adults. Often denture wearers do subjectively not notice the adjustment of their food choice and the employment of special preparation techniques. Finally the dental state influences the nutritional intake. A reduced number of teeth correlates with the intake of less calories, proteins, fat, nonstarch polysaccharides and vitamins. Often missing calories are compensated by an increased consumption of sugar and fat. Especially edentulous persons with a low level of education choose a diet which is rich in fat and sugar. Further the daily intake of fruit and vegetables diminishes along with fewer occlusal contacts in posterior teeth. The restoration of the chewing function by dental intervention does not lead to an improvement of the nutritional intake by itself and should therefore always be complemented by nutritional advice.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available