Geriatric nutrition: the role of taste and smell in appetite.

Proper nutrition is essential to the health of the oral tissues, and healthy tissues enhance prosthodontic treatment of the elderly. All dentists should be prepared to offer dietary advice to this expanding population. Taste and smell are essential to proper nutrition. In the elderly the peripheral sensory receptors decline, causing the appetite to wane. Taste and aroma are inextricably intertwined in determining the palatability and acceptance of food. For example, during an upper respiratory infection, the olfactory receptors are blocked. Food becomes tasteless; it loses both flavor and aroma and the appetite declines. As a result of aging, the taste buds on the tongue and the olfactory receptors in the roof of the nasal cavity regress. In addition, the gustatory and olfactory nuclei in the brain decline, causing a reduction in appetite and diet.

Geriatric nutrition II: Dehydration in the elderly.

Water balance in the elderly is critical in preventing tissue dehydration. Negative water balance, occurring when more water is lost than is retained, results in a severe decrease in all secretions. This "drying out" of tissues and organs, including muscles and joints, may lead to premature aging. Xerostomia is a major cause of denture discomfort and failure. The prosthodontist is advised to inspect and, if possible, correct dehydration of the oral tissues prior to constructing the denture. Denture failures may often result more from tissue deficiencies in the aged than from technical inadequacies. Water balance is efficiently achieved in the elderly through ingestion of soups containing many of the solubilized nutrients essential to tissue health. This is more beneficial than merely increasing the intake of plain water or beverages.