Sallam, Aziza;
McCorry, Noleen K;
Harvey, Michelle;
Heilmann, Anja;
Lappin, Caroline;
McEvoy, Clare;
Mitchell, Gary;
... McKenna, Gerry; + view all
(2025)
The Impact of Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status on the Oral Health of Older Adults Living in Care Homes: A Scoping Review.
Gerodontology
10.1111/ger.12821.
(In press).
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To review the literature on the relationship between oral health, dietary intake, and nutritional status in older adults in care homes, identifying research gaps. BACKGROUND: Many older adults in care homes retain natural teeth but face oral health issues due to challenges in maintaining hygiene and limited dental care access. While the provided diet aims to prevent frailty, it may contain high levels of sugars and fermentable carbohydrates, which can contribute to oral health issues such as dental caries and periodontal disease. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched to answer, "What is known about the relationship between dietary intake, nutritional status and oral health in older adults in care homes?." RESULTS: Forty-nine studies (1989-2024) addressed this relationship, with most studies being cross-sectional (n = 43), including two qualitative and one mixed-method study; six were longitudinal, including one interventional. Findings highlighted the negative impact of oral health problems-xerostomia, dysphagia, and chewing issues-on dietary intake and nutritional status, while interventions like denture provision and professional tooth brushing had positive effects. Longitudinal studies emphasised the harm of sugar intake on oral health, with additional factors like dementia, resident dependency, and staffing issues adversely affecting both oral health and nutrition. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the complex relationship between oral health, diet, and nutrition in care homes, emphasising gaps in research on the impact of dietary intake, particularly sugar consumption, on oral health, as well as limitations in study designs.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Impact of Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status on the Oral Health of Older Adults Living in Care Homes: A Scoping Review |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/ger.12821 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/ger.12821 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2025 The Author(s). Gerodontology published by Gerodontology Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | Care homes, dietary intake, nutritional status, older adults, oral health |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10208699 |
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