This Momentum Discussion was presented during the 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting Online for a live audience.
Supported by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare
Moderator:
Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, Drexel University
Panelists:
Judith Haber, New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing
Michele Saunders, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Kathryn Starr, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham VA Medical Center
The relationship between oral health and nutrition is a circular one. Without a healthy mouth to chew food and begin the digestive process, nutritional status suffers. And, without adequate nutrients, oral health often declines, muscles weaken, gum tissues become infected, bone supporting the teeth resorbs, and teeth decay and - may be eventually lost. And the process repeats. We will discuss the interrelationships between nutrition and oral health with an emphasis on older adults who undergo surgery, have cancer, or require special diets due to chronic health conditions and factors related to social determinants of health. Discussants will also examine the need for interprofessional education initiatives that reinforce care that benefits both oral health and nutrition.
