The Association Between Periodontal Disease and Malnutrition in a Group of Elderly People in Thailand.

Ageing may accompany with an accumulation of diseases and impairments cause by physiological, socioeconomic and psychological changes. The older adults are more prone to nutritional deficiencies due to combination of factors such as ageing, excessive polypharmacy, general health decline, poor socioeconomic status, cognitive decline, poor appetite, impaired efficacy of swallowing and limit eating ability.

Periodontitis is a multifactorial disease predominantly a bacterial infection involving the dental biofilm or dental plaque. Periodontitis increases in extent and severity across a large proportion of the human population with ageing. The effects of ageing on the immune system include distinct alterations in both innate and adaptive immune-cell function and effector biomolecules, resulting in processes reflecting immunosenescence, immunoactivation and inflammaging. Moreover, genetic contribution alters immunity and inflammation that play a role in the dysregulation of host responses in ageing. The combination of chronic antigenic burden and uncontrolled inflammatory response can enhance immunosenescence and ageing-associated disease. Periodontitis also has an effect on food intake, nutritional status and quality of life in older adults.

However the relationship between chronic periodontitis and malnutrition in older adult is not clear and needs further study. In this study will be determine the association between periodontitis and malnutrition status in older adult.