Significance of Oral Function for Dietary Intakes in Old People

There is growing interest in the connection between oral health and systemic health. In recent years, oral health in particular is considered a predictor of circulatory mortality. Two major pathways may mediate this relationship, namely (1) the inflammatory effects of chronic periodontal infection on the circulatory system and (2) the effects of masticatory dysfunction on dietary behavior, nutrition and systemic diseases. Previous studies have shown that adults who are edentulous, or have fewer natural teeth are less likely to eat fruits, vegetables and meats. Because it can be easily assessed, the number of teeth has frequently been used as an indicator of oral health in investigations of food intake. However, the number of teeth alone presents a misleading picture. The role of prosthetic rehabilitation (i.e., dentures) on oral function must be taken into account as well. We investigated the association of occlusal force with food and nutrient intakes after adjusting for the number of teeth in independently living 70-y-old Japanese. After adjusting for socioeconomic status and the number of remaining teeth, decline of occlusal force was significantly associated with lower intakes of vegetables, vitamins A, C, and B6, folate, and dietary fiber (p for trend<0.05). It is concluded that occlusal force as a representative of oral function was significantly associated with intakes of vitamins and dietary fiber rather than number of remaining teeth.