Nutritional evaluation of food intake records of periodontal patients

The nutrients in 5-day diet diaries of 100 patients from an Iowa private dental office were analyzed with the assistance of a computer program and were compared to the RDA. The mean energy intakes of both men and women were lower than that suggested by the RDA's. The percent of kilocalories of fat was as high as the national average. Calcium was below 100% of RDA for both younger and older men and women with 43% of the women and 25% of the men below two-thirds of RDA. Protein and ascorbic acid levels were high. None of the diets were low in protein. The ascorbic acid intake was especially high, older men eating an average of 248% and older women 265% of RDA. Nutrient analysis of diets is more definitive than the commonly used food group plan for the dentist to meet the needs of nutrition counseling for an increasingly nutrition-conscious patient population.