Association of Number of Teeth Present With Nutrient Intake and Food Group Consumption

BackgroundSeveral studies have examined the impact of tooth loss on nutrient intake, yielding mixed results.ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association among the number of teeth present, nutrient intake and food group consumption in Japanese adults with no history of the four major diseases (diabetes, cancer, heart disease and stroke).MethodsData were obtained from the baseline survey of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort study conducted in the Shizuoka and Daiko areas. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on their number of teeth, medical history (diabetes, cancer, heart disease and stroke), education level, employment status and lifestyle factors, such as diet, smoking history and exercise habits. The number of teeth was classified into four groups: 0 teeth, 1-19 teeth, 20-27 teeth and 28-32 teeth.ResultsA total of 8912 individuals included in the analysis had a mean age +/- SD of 51.7 +/- 9.5 years, with women accounting for 53.6% of the total. In adult men, the number of teeth was negatively associated with the intake of vitamin D, n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid intake and seafood, while in women, bread consumption was positively associated with the number of teeth.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the number of teeth is independently associated with poor nutritional status in Japanese adults with no history of the four major diseases.