Oral health and nutrition: current evidence and future perspectives

Abstract

A scenario consisting of oral diseases or tooth loss, which leads to a deterioration in oral function and adversely affects nutrient intake and the general health has long been advocated. Nutrition and diet have been considered as one of the main pathways that correlate oral health to general health, and recent evidence supports this scenario. A healthy diet, which can reduce the risks of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), frailty, and dementia, is the key to healthy longevity. The promotion of oral health and maintenance of oral functions promote a healthy diet and aid in the prevention of various diseases, including NCDs, thereby extending healthy life expectancy. Furthermore, the association between oral health and nutrition has been reported to be bidirectional. Increasing evidence suggests that poor oral function inhibits the consumption of a healthy diet. An unhealthy diet and malnutrition are the risk factors for oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal disease. Moreover, it has been reported that the nutritional status is only slightly improved after dental prosthesis treatment alone; nutrition counseling accompanied by behavioral changes is necessary for a healthy dietary intake and nutritional status improvement.

Overall, the available evidence suggests the importance for dental professionals to have sufficient knowledge about nutrition and to collaborate with dieticians when required. Additional interdisciplinary studies on dentistry and nutrition along with an advancement of pregraduate and postgraduate studies on nutritional education among dentists and dental hygienists are required in the future.