Composition of Functional Tooth Units and Nutrient Intake in Older Men

Poor dentition, defined by numbers of teeth, functional tooth units or edentulism has been previously shown to be associated with poor intakes of nutrients in older adults, including but not limited to vitamin C, calcium, fibre, protein, zinc and folate. Similar findings have been found when poor dentition is defined by the presence of a prosthesis. Reasons for this inverse relationship include poor denture quality, reduced chewing capacity, or the inadequacy of prosthesis to replace natural teeth. However limited studies have looked at how the composition (natural verses prosthetic) of functional tooth units is associated with nutrient intake. A cross sectional analysis of a cohort of male older adults, participating in an ongoing longitudinal study, was conducted to investigate nutrition and oral health associations, including the relationship between the composition of functional tooth units and nutrient intake.