SynthesisGerodontology2026
The Impact of Nutritional Status on Oral Health Outcomes and Management in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Gerodontology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Functional Outcomes of Prosthetic Rehabilitation in Older Adults With Tooth Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Gerodontology · 2026Pooled it
- Staging in Gerodontology: A Framework.Gerodontology · 2026Article
- Chain mediation effects of depressive symptoms and nutritional risk between social support and oral frailty in patients with coronary heart disease.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the relationship between nutritional status and the oral health of older adults (aged 75 years or older). The PECO focus question was, 'What is the occurrence, association and impact of nutritional state on the oral health outcomes and its management in older adults?'
methodsA comprehensive literature search was performed across MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase and the Cochrane Library. Publications up to April 2025 were considered, yielding 3324 records for initial screening. Quality assessment of the included studies predominantly revealed a low to moderate risk of bias.
resultsEighty-three studies were included for data analysis. Meta-analyses demonstrated that older adults at risk of malnutrition had fewer teeth (SMD = -0.29; 95% CI: -0.46, -0.11; p = 0.002). Those with < 20 teeth and who were not rehabilitated with dentures were more likely to be malnourished (OR = 4.00; 95% CI: 1.21, 13.18; p = 0.02). Malnutrition was associated with self-reported chewing problems (OR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.74, 3.26; p < 0.0001), swallowing problems (OR = 3.18; 95% CI: 2.20, 4.61; p < 0.0001) or dry mouth (OR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.91, 2.88; p < 0.0001). Conversely, those with oral pain showed lower odds of malnutrition risk (OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.89; p = 0.005).
conclusionsFewer teeth, existing chewing or swallowing problems, dry mouth and the absence of removable dentures where needed, were associated with malnutrition in care-dependent older adults. The current lack of longitudinal studies and proof of causality for malnutrition affecting oral health outcomes underscores the need for further research to better clarify the complex relationship between oral health and nutrition in older populations.
trial registrationPROSPERO Registration: CRD420251003549.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.