Mastication, nutrition, oral health and health in older patients

Abstract

The mouth is the portal of entry for all foods to enter the digestive tract and thereby be available for digestion and absorption to sustain life. It is not surprising therefore that there are clear and profound links between the health status of the oral environment and foods, and there are also reciprocal links between the foods that we eat and health of the teeth, their supporting tissues and the oral mucosa. The objective of this chapter is to discuss the evidence for the links between foods and the oral environment and to establish how the dental team can maximise health benefits for their patients. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.