Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Relationship between nutritional status and tooth loss in an older population from Sri Lanka
1Dental Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Objective:
To determine the relationship between tooth loss and nutritional status in older individuals in Sri Lanka.
Background:
In developing countries, both the prevalence of malnutrition and oral disease are high among older individuals.
Materials And Methods:
Four hundred and eighty subjects aged 60 years and above were selected to be included in the sample, of which 437 responded giving an overall response rate of 91%. Data were collected by means of an interviewer administered questionnaire, an oral examination and a physical examination to determine height and weight to calculate the body mass index (BMI).
Results:
Based on the WHO cut-offs for BMI, 62, 20 and 18% of the sample were normal, under- and over-weight, respectively. A multinomial logistic regression analysis with normal weight as the reference category revealed that missing teeth and denture status were associated with being underweight but not with being overweight.
Conclusion:
In older individuals, tooth loss is significantly associated with being underweight.
Related Concept Videos
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
The Oral Microbiota
Oral Cavity
Teeth: The teeth are the hardest structures in our bodies. Humans have two sets of teeth throughout their lifetime: deciduous (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Each tooth consists of several parts: the crown (visible part), the root (embedded in the jaw), enamel (hard outer...
Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
