Oral Health and Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oral Health and Nutrition - Essay Example The dementia diagnosis was carried out blind from the dental and nutritional status. The study concluded that "having fewer teeth was associated in a cross-sectional analysis with incident dementia, and that this association was strongest in people who did not use dentures" (853). The study additionally found that females were significantly more likely to use dentures, and thus suffer less dementia (852). Nutrition and oral health have been associated as poor dental health makes it more difficult to consume fresh and healthy foods, while poor nutrition contributes further to poor oral health. This study linked the deterioration of dental health and teeth count to dementia. The study reported that the increased risk of dementia, and especially Alzheimer's Disease, may be due to the inflammatory processes associated with periodontal disease. Further research is needed to isolate the mechanism of onset for this important aspect of aging that affects many people worldwide, and could possibly be averted by better dental health and the increased use of dentures.