Nutrition-related Disorders

Nutrition-related disorders are closely intertwined with oral health. Thus, nutritional imbalances due to undernutrition and overnutrition can result in compromised oral health. Nutritional shortcomings and excesses of macroand micronutrients result in distinct diseases and are further associated with pathological changes of the oral mucosa. In addition, nutrition-related disorders are associated with systemic inflammation and immunosuppression, which in turn leads to increased rates of oral infection and inflammatory oral mucosal tissue remodelling. Depending on the underlying nutritional deficiencies these mucosal changes can manifest as both inflammatory as well as ulcerative reactions and further develop into lichenoid, desquamative, infectious, and malignant entities. In the following chapter, oral mucosal manifestations observed in several subtypes of malnutrition and associated nutrition-related disorders will be elucidated.