ORAL HEALTH AND MALNUTRITION

Any health issue that affects your entire body, such as diabetes or HIV, also affects your oral health. While not as commonly discussed as diabetes or HIV, malnutrition can also affect your oral and overall health. When you aren't getting the right foods in your system, your teeth begin to weaken. And, if you already have poor oral health, eating may be difficult.

There are many reasons for malnutrition, but you and your doctor and dentist can work together to create a plan for your improved oral health and nutrition. If you believe you may be malnourished or if you already have oral problems, keep reading to learn more.

Discover the Reasons for Your Malnutrition

First, determine why you may be malnourished. If it's because you just aren't eating enough or the right types of foods, change your eating habits. Of course, there are many other reasons you may be malnourished that aren't as easy to fix. Some health problems make it difficult to eat because you may feel nauseated or lose your taste.

People with disabilities and who have a lower income may not be able to afford as many healthy foods, which are usually more expensive.

People who are bulimic or have another condition that causes frequent vomiting may not be getting all the nutrients they need. Similarly, alcoholism and depression can cause a loss of appetite which leads to a decreased nutritional intake. Whatever the reason for your malnutrition, fixing the underlying cause is important to your overall health and can likely be helped by changing habits, talking to your doctor, or asking for help from a loved one.

Learn How Malnutrition Affects Oral Health

Malnutrition affects every part of the body, but some of the first oral symptoms include swollen and bleeding gums. At this point, the damage is reversible, if you simply start getting enough nutrients and minerals in your body.

If left untreated, however, the irritation can cause gums to recede from teeth or become inflamed, leading to gum disease. Again, at this stage, it is still reversible, but once minor gum disease advances to periodontitis and attacks the jawbone, symptoms can only be treated with invasive dental procedures such as bone grafts.

Your bones need lots of minerals to stay strong. In particular calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D help strengthen enamel, which is what protects your teeth from decay. As the enamel continues to thin, the underlying later of dentin becomes exposed to decay.

Recognize How Oral Health Affects How You Absorb Your Nutrients

Oral health and malnutrition are closely related. If you don't take care of your teeth, you probably aren’t getting enough nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. A study of 107 seniors showed that if patients had 10 to 19 teeth, they were more likely to be at risk of malnutrition.

This is largely due to the fact that missing teeth make it harder to eat. Similarly, if you have a lot of tooth decay, eating may be painful. As a result, patients may avoid eating as much as possible or only eat certain foods that aren't giving them the nutrients they need.

Finally, if you have advanced gum disease, eating may not be enjoyable anymore. Even if you have all your teeth, your sensitive, inflamed gums may hurt or bleed whenever you eat, making you want to avoid important nutritional foods or stick to only soft food.

Malnutrition is prevalent in the U.S. and can cause oral complications like tooth loss and decay. If you would like to know more about your oral health and how malnutrition affects it, or if you simply need a cleaning and exam, contact us today at Bradley Piotrowski, DDS, MSD, LLC.