Missing teeth and difficulty chewing are common in older adults, but tooth loss is not a normal part of healthy aging.

In this episode of The Geriatric Dietitian Podcast, Katie Dodd, MS, RDN, CSG, LD, FAND discusses how missing teeth, dentures, and chewing difficulties can impact nutrition, food choices, socialization, and quality of life.

While dentures can be incredibly helpful, they don't function exactly like natural teeth. Eating with dentures can take time and practice, and some older adults may continue to avoid certain foods because they're difficult or uncomfortable to chew.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why tooth loss is not a normal part of healthy aging
• How missing teeth can affect nutrition
• Why dentures don't completely eliminate chewing difficulties
• Signs that an older adult may be struggling to chew, even if they say they aren't
• Nutritious soft foods that can make eating easier
• How to modify foods instead of simply eliminating them
• Why chewing difficulties can contribute to unintended weight loss
• How dentures and tooth loss can affect socialization, confidence, and quality of life
• Ways to support someone adjusting to dentures

When chewing becomes difficult, the goal isn't simply to remove nutritious foods from the diet. Instead, we can find ways to make those foods softer and easier to eat while continuing to meet nutritional needs.

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