Methodological and nutritional issues in assessing the oral health of aged subjects.

Despite several serious methodological difficulties in epidemiological research on the oral health of elderly subjects, sufficient data are available to conclude that the prevalence of dental diseases is high in persons aged greater than 65 y in the US. An estimated 41% are completely edentulous, and dental caries, including root-surface caries, and destructive periodontal disease are widespread. Whether nutrition is related to the oral health problems of older persons is unclear: this question has received little research attention, and the results have generally been equivocal. There is some evidence that loss of teeth may be associated with suboptimal intake of nutrients and with changes in food preference.