Poor oral health can promote dietary deficiencies

We see it mainly in the elderly, the teeth deteriorate, some fall out, the gums are more sensitive… And in fact, we avoid consuming certain foods that are complicated to chew, too sticky or crunchy. The consequence ? A risk of deficiencies. This doesn’t just apply to seniors! But to anyone who has poor oral health. A study conducted by the Center for Taste and Food Sciences has looked into the issue of these deficiencies and is looking for a way to avoid them.

Tests have been carried out on elderly people with dentition in more or less good condition. Researchers have noticed that when you lose your teeth, even with partial dentures, food is less well reduced to particles. So less easy to digest, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the nutrients (which begin to be ingested during chewing), are less well assimilated.

Saliva and teeth have a direct role in nutrient balance

Another problem of the elderly: a lack of saliva. In the study, the scientists point to a 38% decrease in seniors over 70 compared to the 22-55 age group. This can be the consequence of certain medications or simply of aging. However, saliva, like teeth, plays a major role in nutrition. It makes it possible to give pleasure while eating and to agglomerate the chewed particles in a food bolus. It is also a digestion facilitator because it contains bicarbonate. When it becomes rarer, we observe a decreased appetite, and unbalanced food intake.

What this study explains concerns the elderly in particular, but can be applied to people with poor oral health in general, involving severe tooth loss, mouth pain, lack of saliva. Foods are no longer perceived in the same way, no longer have quite the same taste, are more complicated to chew and swallow. All of this explains how oral health, apparently unrelated to nutritional issues, is in fact essential to avoid deficiencies. The purpose of this survey is both to remember that regular dental appointments are importantbut also to think about setting up recipes adapted to people suffering from oral problems.

Read also:

• 10 misconceptions about dental care
• How to take care of your gums