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 The mouth is an excellent place to discover signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiencies.
We have an important impact on the overall health of our patients by screening for nutritional shortcomings and providing appropriate counseling and referral.
Nutrition starts with the mouth; it is the gateway to the gastrointestinal tract. Poor nutrition is among the most important causes of caries and periodontal disease. Conversely, poor oral health can negatively affect nutrient intake, while oral infectious diseases can directly perturb nutritional status. Furthermore, there is a growing body of evidence linking oral infections, nutrition, and the immune system.
Putting It Into Practice
Determining the nutritional status of our patients is essential to the prevention of the two most common oral diseases, caries and periodontal disease. There are simple screening questionnaires available that can be filled out even while the patient is in the chair. These allow usr to question patients about food habits, and any symptoms that might indicate nutritional deficiencies. When taken within the context of the the clinical assessment, the questionnaire results can be used to assign a risk score to the patient as to the need for nutrition education or referral to a dietician or physician.
The challenge is to make nutrition, dietary assessment, and guidance an integral part of routine dental hygiene practice.
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