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Updated: Jun 30, 2026
08:47
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Self‑Reported Oral Health and Malnutrition Risk in Community-Dwelling Older U.S. Adults
Vittorio Dibello1,2, Silvano Quarto2, Antonio Dibello2
1Department of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Summary
Good oral hygiene and past dental treatment are linked to lower nutritional risk in older adults. These self-assessed oral health factors may help identify seniors needing nutritional support.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Oral health and nutritional status are crucial for healthy aging.
- Limited population-level data exists linking self-reported oral health to objective nutritional risk in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine associations between self-reported oral health domains and nutritional risk (Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index [GNRI]) in U.S. adults aged 60+.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cross-sectional data from 3898 older adults (2009-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey).
- Self-reported oral health measures included periodontal history and hygiene behaviors.
- Nutritional risk defined by GNRI (serum albumin, weight relative to ideal), analyzed using weighted logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Previous gum disease treatment was associated with lower odds of nutritional risk (OR: 0.67).
- Frequent flossing/interdental cleaning was linked to lower nutritional risk (OR: 0.57).
- Other oral symptoms showed no significant association with GNRI classification.
Conclusions:
- Specific self-assessed oral health domains are independently associated with malnutrition risk in older adults.
- Subjective oral health measures can help identify older adults at elevated nutritional risk.
- Findings support integrating oral health screening into geriatric care strategies.
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