Nutrition and Oral Medicine (Nutrition and Health)

Chapter 3 / Aging and Oral Health 313 Age-Related Changes in Oral HealthStatusEffects on Diet and NutritionCarole A. Palmer1. INTRODUCTIONThe oral cavity is the vehicle through which the body receives and processes nourishment.Multiple oral tissues work together to support these vital functions. These oraltissues include muscles of mastication and deglutition (including the tongue), oralmucosa, teeth and periodontal tissues, salivary glands and their secretions, and taste andsmell receptors. As a result, problems that occur in the oral cavity can affect the abilityand desire to bite, chew, and swallow foods. For example, soft-tissue diseases and conditionscan make it difficult and painful to masticate and swallow and, correspondingly,dental caries or missing teeth can make it difficult to bite and chew.Compromised oral function has been linked to decreased self-esteem and a decline inthe quality of life (1). Adults with missing teeth or loose dentures may avoid certain socialactivities because they are embarrassed to speak, smile, or eat in front of others. Bothsystemic health and quality of life are compromised when oral conditions affect eatingand food choices (2). This chapter reviews how changes in oral soft and hard tissue effectdiet and nutrition including life-cycle issues specific to aging.2. DENTATE STATUS AFFECTS DIET AND NUTRITIONOf adults aged 25 and older, 11% have lost all of their natural teeth. This numberincreases to 30% for people over age 65 and is even higher for those living at the povertylevel (3). Despite this continued problem with tooth loss, most people are keeping anincreasing number of their teeth into old age. Over the next three decades, the averagenumber of teeth retained among the elderly is predicted to rise to 25.9 (4) from the currentaverage of 20. Although the proportion of edentulous patients in the elderly populationis declining, the total number of persons with no teeth in the United States is likely toremain constant at 9 million (4).Although more people are keeping their natural teeth longer in developed countries,a large number of people still depend on removable dentures. The third National Healthand Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a US survey conducted between 1988and 1994, reported that 44% of those aged 75 or older were missing all of their teeth (5).From: Nutrition and Oral MedicineEdited by: R. Touger-Decker, D. A. Sirois, and C. C. Mobley © Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ31