Nutritional Status and Oral Health in Older Adults

Maintaining a balanced nutritional intake and preserving oral function are intimately connected in older adults. Tooth loss, reduced salivary flow and impaired chewing ability can limit food choices, leading to lower consumption of proteins, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Conversely, inadequate intake of key nutrients may compromise oral tissues, impair wound healing and exacerbate oral infections. Across diverse settings, from community dwellings to long-term care, older individuals with compromised dentition exhibit higher rates of malnutrition, underweight or obesity and report greater difficulty consuming hard or fibrous foods.

Given the global rise in life expectancy, ensuring adequate nutrient intake while accommodating changes in oral mechanics is a pressing challenge. Interventions such as prosthodontic rehabilitation, dietary modification and regular nutritional screening can mitigate risks. An interprofessional approach—bringing together dental professionals, dietitians and primary care providers—facilitates tailored dietary advice, texture-modified meal planning and prosthetic solutions to preserve both oral health and systemic well-being.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A cross-sectional investigation among older adults without posterior occlusal support examined the relationship between jaw-closing force (JCF) and the consistency of recommended diets. Participants were categorised by dietary form using standardised guidelines, and measurements included JCF, tongue pressure and functional independence scores. Findings revealed that higher JCF and greater tongue pressure correlated with the ability to consume firmer textures, suggesting that JCF may serve as an objective index to guide diet planning. This work highlights the potential for simple muscle-strength assessments to inform personalised dietary prescriptions and reduce the risk of dysphagia or nutritional decline in care-dependent seniors.

Nutritional Status and Oral Health in Older Adults publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutritional status and oral health in older adults across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Malnutrition: A state in which inadequate or imbalanced nutrient intake adversely affects body composition and function.

Occlusal support: The contact and alignment between upper and lower teeth or prostheses essential for effective chewing.

Jaw-closing force (JCF): The pressure generated by jaw muscles when bringing the teeth or edentulous ridges together to crush food.

Masticatory efficiency: The ability to break down food into swallowable particles, influenced by dentition, muscle strength and prosthetic function.

Edentulousness: The absence of natural teeth in one or both jaws, often necessitating complete or partial dentures.

References

1. Relationship between the jaw-closing force and dietary form in older adults without occlusal support requiring nursing care. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. The Association of Oral Processing Factors and Nutrient Intake in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrition Reviews (2024).
3. Nutritional status and dietary habits in older adults with fixed implant dental prostheses: a case-control study. Frontiers in Nutrition (2024).
4. The Association between Malnutrition and Oral Health in Older People: A Systematic Review. Nutrients (2021).