Effects of Systemic Disease on Nutritional Status and Oral Health

As you have already learned, nutritional deficiencies frequently are evidenced in the oral and perioral areas. Oral lesions can be a reflection of or a marker for disease elsewhere.

The oral cavity cannot be isolated from, and is not immune to, what is occurring in the rest of the body, because oral tissues are nourished by the same blood supply that provides oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body. Therefore, oral tissues may reflect changes in its nutrient supply or other metabolic alterations. Oral manifestations are only a single part of the total systemic state.

Oral problems may be caused by a disease process or therapy, or by a nutritional deficiency that results when oral problems related to that condition cause inadequate intake. Systemic diseases or medications usually prescribed for these conditions may cause alterations in the oral cavity, such as oral lesions, xerostomia, or muscular weakness.

These oral alterations may lead to changes in eating patterns, which frequently have a general debilitating effect on the entire body. For example, food preferences are affected by one’s ability to chew.

Those persons with reduced masticatory efficiency usually choose soft foods, which may not provide adequate amounts of essential nutrients. Therefore, they may be at increased risk for nutritional deficiencies as a result of tooth loss, malocclusion, or ill-fitting dentures or partials.

The body is dependent on nutrients from foods eaten to regenerate and repair diseased tissues. Therefore, provisions must be made to provide these nutrients in adequate amounts.

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