Oral diseases are among the most prevalent diseases affecting global health. In his report on the crisis in oral disease in America, the Surgeon General warned that one cannot be truly healthy without oral health. Oral health means freedom from all oral health problems; tooth decay (dental caries), periodontal diseases, tooth loss, oral-facial pain, oral cancer and the effects of its treatment, oral infections, craniofacial birth defects and more. The relationships between oral conditions and systemic health and disease are many and synergistic, and most involve dietary and/or systemic nutritional factors. Diet and nutrition can play important roles in the etiology, prevention, and/or management of oral conditions, as they do in overall health and disease. Today, all health professionals and educators need to be aware of and consider oral issues and their possible diet/nutritional implications as a component of optimal health care and education. This review article provides a brief overview of how diet and nutrition impact and are impacted by oral conditions, and offers general guidelines and resources for providing meaningful interventions throughout the life cycle.
This review contains 3 figures, 3 tables, and 57 references
Key Words: biofilm, cariogenic, dental caries, dental plaque, ECC-early childhood caries, lactobacillus, mucositis, non-cariogenic, periodontal disease, Streptococcus mutans
Evaluation of oral conditions in patients with neurodegenerative diseases treated in geriatric centers
