title: Introduction to nutrition and oral health.
abstract: Nutrition is vital to human growth, development, and life maintenance and, as such, is also important to oral health. Dietary nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. This article reviews these nutrients, their functions and sources, and how they relate to oral health and disease. Concepts about which the oral health care provider must be aware in order to counsel patients regarding the impact of diet on oral health and toward healthy lifestyle choices are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Dentistry, Creighton University School of Dentistry, Room 215, 2802 Webster Street, Omaha, NE 68178, USA. lromito@creighton.edu
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Romito
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D004326:Drinking / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009909:Oral Health; D014481:United States; D014815:Vitamins
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D008903:Minerals; D014815:Vitamins