Does tooth loss affect dietary intake?

As your teeth are used primarily for chewing, fewer teeth can make chewing difficult. In a large study done on adults it was found that “intake of vegetables, dietary fibre, crude fibre and carotene was significantly lower, while intake of total calories, cholesterol, and fat was significantly higher” when comparing people with less teeth to those with 25 teeth or more. Therefore, as gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss, dietary evaluation and nutrition recommendations should be offered by your dental hygienist. (Oral Care Report, vol14, Number 1, 2004)