Association among prosthodontic treatment, dietary diversity, and ingestible food profile in older outpatients with missing teeth.

PURPOSE: In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the association among dietary diversity, ingestible food profiles, and the type of prosthodontic treatment (i.e., removable partial or complete dentures [RD] vs. implant-supported dentures [ID], including implant-supported fixed prostheses and implant-assisted overdentures) in older Japanese outpatients.

METHODS

We included 297 patients aged ≥65 years (mean age, 75.3 years) undergoing maintenance therapy for RD or ID. Dietary diversity was assessed using the Dietary Variety Score (DVS) questionnaire. The ingestible food profile, a subjective quantification of the ability to consume foods with high masticatory difficulty, was evaluated using a validated ingestible food questionnaire and assessed using the ingestible food score (IFS). DVS- and IFS-related factors were identified using multiple regression analyses.

RESULTS

The median IFS of the ID group (100.0) was significantly higher than that of the RD group (84.5); however, the median DVS showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. After adjusting for confounding factors, prosthodontic treatment type (RD) and the number of present teeth (≤20) were found to be significantly associated with low IFS, whereas young age and presence of cardiovascular disease were significantly associated with low DVS.

CONCLUSIONS

Older individuals with ID had a better ingestible food profile than those with RD; however, dietary diversity did not differ significantly between the two groups. RD is a potential risk factor for poor ingestible food profile, whereas the prosthodontic treatment type is not a direct risk factor for low dietary diversity.