Nutritional challenges and dietary considerations in completely edentulous patients

• Author Details:   
• Smitha L Rajeev ^*

---

Partial or complete Edentulism is highly prevalent among older adults and profoundly affects their nutritional status. When masticatory function is lost, especially due to the loss of posterior teeth, people avoid hard and fibrous foods such fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. Reduced consumption of important macronutrients and micronutrients as a result of this dietary change raises the risk of sarcopenia, frailty, anaemia, and immunological impairment.

Oral anatomy and chewing function can be restored by prosthetic rehabilitation using complete dentures or implant-supported over dentures; nevertheless, research shows that nutritional results, including meal quality and biochemical markers, do not change in the absence of continuous dietary counseling. Despite statistical constraints brought on by brief follow-up periods, randomized trials show that combining dietary intervention with Prosthodontic treatment gives better result.

Edentulous people continuously exhibit decreased dietary diversity, lower intake of fruits, vegetables, and vital nutrients, and has greater rates of underweight status, according to observational studies and national surveys. Edentulism further restricts food options by being associated with xerostomia, dysphagia, and increased use of gastrointestinal medicines. Edentulism raises the risk of malnutrition in older persons and substantially reduces the quality of their food. Improving health outcomes in this susceptible group requires a multidisciplinary strategy that combines customized nutritional advice with prosthetic rehabilitation. This article provides a comprehensive review of the nutritional challenges encountered by completely edentulous older adults and emphasizes the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach in promoting healthier living.