Ciaran Moore

Objective: This systematic review evaluated oral health, including oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL), in older adults with head and neck cancer (HANC) or oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). The PICO/PECO focus question for this study was: ‘What is the incidence/prevalence of adverse oral health (O) among people aged 60 years or older (P) who have been diagnosed with HANC or an OPMD (E), relative to people aged 60 years or older who have not been diagnosed with HANC or an OPMD, or younger people aged less than 60 years who have been diagnosed with HANC or an OPMD (C)?’ Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed, OVID Medline, CENTRAL and Embase, guided by the PICO/PECO framework. Publications from 1960 up to April 2025 were considered, yielding 1070 records for initial screening. Results: A total of eight studies were included for analysis. A narrative review only was presented. Findings from the included studies demonstrated conflicting results. Two cross‐sectional studies demonstrated better post‐treatment OHRQoL across some domains for older patients with HANC than younger patients; however, this was contradicted by data from two prospective cohort studies which showed no differences in post‐treatment OHRQoL between older and younger patients with a history of HANC. Findings from a different prospective cohort study demonstrated a linear relationship between HANC patients' age and the incidence of post‐radiotherapy moderate–severe xerostomia. There were no data on oral health consequences among older adults with OPMDs. Conclusions: This systematic review revealed inconclusive findings on the impact of HANC and OPMD on oral health in older adults. PROSPERO Registration: CRD420251003419:

Background: Changes in oral epidemiology have contributed to an older population who are partially dentate in many countries worldwide. This study aims to appreciate older patients’ impressions of the loss of their natural teeth and explore their experience of functionally orientated oral rehabilitation approach. Methods: Recruitment for this retrospectively registered qualitative study involved a purposive sample of 15 older partially dentate patients. Previously, this group of patients partook in a randomised controlled clinical trial (RCT) on tooth replacement options. Patients who had received functionally orientated tooth replacements according to the Shortened Dental Arch (SDA) principles were invited to participate in a qualitative interview. Each patient received resin-bonded bridgework (RBB) to restore them to a functional dentition of 10 occluding pairs. All patients had previous experience with tooth replacement using Removable Partial Dentures (RPD). Following comprehensive interviews with participants, data was interpreted through thematic analysis. Results: This study’s findings indicated high participant satisfaction with SDA treatment. Patients noted they found resin-bonded prostheses “lightweight,” “neat,” and “fixed”, citing these as contributing factors to the ease with which they adapted to these prostheses. It was also noted that patients perceived their new prostheses to be durable and an improvement on past removable treatments received. However, the patients indicated concern that the SDA treatment provided in the clinical study would not be available to them in a primary care setting. Conclusions: This qualitative study demonstrates that partially dentate older patients were satisfied with a functionally orientated approach to oral rehabilitation. Trial registration: (Trial Registration: ISRCTN26302774: 18/10/2013).

Many factors determine dietary intake in older adults, including physical health, psychological well-being and socio-economic status. Dental status may also be important. The aim was to examine how dental status impacts perceived ability to eat to certain foods, nutrient intake and nutritional status in UK older adults. Data collected by the National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme was analysed. A 4-day food diary assessed dietary intake, while a Computer Assisted Personal Interview collected socio-demographic, health behaviour and oral health information. Participants aged 65 years and over (n = 1053) were categorised into three groups according to their dental status: edentate with dentures (E-DEN, n = 292), dentate with dentures (D-DEN, n = 305) or dentate with no dentures (DEN, n = 456). A total of 515 participants provided a blood sample that was used to assess nutrient concentrations including vitamin B12, vitamin C, ferritin, vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate, PLP), retinol, β-carotene and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D). Multiple regression methods were performed to examine cross-sectional associations between dental status, food selection, nutrient intake and nutritional status. Both E-DEN and D-DEN groups, compared with the DEN group, were more likely to report difficulty eating apples, raw carrots, lettuce, nuts, well-cooked steak and crusty bread (P < 0.01). No group differences were observed in perceived ability to eat sliced bread, sliced cooked meats and cheese. The E-DEN group compared with the DEN group had lower mean daily intakes of omega 3 fatty acids (P = 0.006), non-starch polysaccharides (P = 0.001), β-carotene (P = 0.001), folate (P = 0.001), vitamin C (P = 0.008), magnesium (P < 0.001) and potassium (P < 0.001), and had lower plasma vitamin B6 PLP (P = 0.001), vitamin C (P = 0.009) and β-carotene (P = 0.015) concentrations, after adjusting for socio-demographic and health behavioural factors. Compared with the DEN group, the D-DEN group did not have lower nutrient intakes or lower blood nutrient concentrations. Within this sample of older adults, impaired dental status appears to influence food selection, and intake of important nutrients. Future research should focus on developing dental interventions coupled with dietary counselling to encourage the adoption of healthy eating habits in this high-risk population group.