Food is not only our primary source of nourishment — it's also a profound part of our society, culture and community. What we eat critically impacts not only overall health, but also our risks for several of the leading causes of death like oral diseases, coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancers and pre cancers. Oral health and nutrition have a synergistic relationship.
Oral infectious diseases, as well as acute, chronic, and terminal systemic diseases with oral manifestations, impact functional ability to eat as well as diet and nutrition status. According to The Surgeon General’s report on “Oral Health in America,” diet and nutrition are major multifactorial environmental factors in the etiology and pathogenesis of craniofacial diseases and disorders.1 Oral health is a broad concept encompassing dental health, oral-motor function, and craniofacial structure.…
