Topic of the Month
Micronutrients and oral health
1 November 2011
Healthy teeth and gums are a significant factor in demonstrating quality of life and ought to be preserved into old age. Aside from adequate oral hygiene, nutrition makes a fundamental contribution in doing so. Both an excess and a lack of certain nutrients in the diet can lead to characteristic oral disorders. A shortage of micronutrients, for example, can considerably impair oral health. Conversely, oral health problems can contribute to malnutrition, as can be seen in people who cannot chew without pain or discomfort because of a disorder or in people without teeth.