First study to report results of matched health record and dental data to assess dietary levels
Dentures can potentially have a negative impact on a person’s overall diet, according to new research from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Dentistry. The research team leveraged electronic dental and health records to better understand how oral health treatments affect people’s overall health over time.
This is believed to be the first study to report the results of using laboratory values of nutritional biomarkers and linking them to dental records.
“Dentures are a major change for a person. They don’t provide the same chewing efficiency, which can change eating habits,” said senior author Thankam Thyvalikakath, DMD, MDS, PhD, director of the Regenstrief and IU School of Dentistry Dental Informatics program. “Dentists need to be aware of this and provide advice or referral for nutritional counselling. These patients need support during the transition and possibly ongoing follow-up.”
For the study, the research team combined the dental records of more than 10,000 Indiana patients with medical laboratory data, specifically indicators of malnutrition. Laboratory tests included, among others, complete blood count, basic metabolic profile, and lipid and thyroid tests. They compared lab results from two years before the patient received dentures to two years after.
The researchers found that people with dentures had a significant decrease in some nutrition indicators during those two years. People who did not wear dentures did not experience this decline. Levels of the markers were still within the normal range, but researchers say there is a chance that levels will continue to drop as more time passes. They urge dentists to be aware of this possibility.
The next steps in this research area are to examine other factors that may influence diet, including insurance status and dental clinic characteristics.
“Nutritional assessment of denture wearers using matched electronic dental health data”, published in the Journal of Prosthodontics. This study was funded through a grant from GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, UK.
Dr. Thyvalikakath was the senior author and Grace Felix Gomez, BDS, MPH, PhD of the IU School of Dentistry and Regenstrief was the first author. Other authors are Sopanis D. Cho, DDS, MSD of IU School of Dentistry; Roshan Varghese, BDS, MBA of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. Divya Rajendran, BTech, MD of IU School of Medicine and Innovation Associates, Inc. George J. Eckert, MAS of the IU School of Medicine. Sruthi Surya Bhamidipalli, MS of IU School of Medicine; Theresa Gomez, DDS of IU School of Dentistry and Babar Ali Khan, MD, MS of Regenstrief and IU School of Medicine.
About Thankam Thyvalikakath, DMD, MDS, PhD
In addition to her role as a Regenstrief Investigator and director of the Regenstrief and IU School of Dentistry Dental Informatics Program, Thankam Thyvalikakath, DMD, MDS, PhD, is director of the dental informatics core, professor at the IU School of Dentistry, and adjunct associate professor at the School IUPUI Informatics and Computing.
About the Regenstrief Institute
Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner of Indiana University, Regenstrief and its researchers are responsible for a growing number of important health innovations and studies. Examples range from developing global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communication to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the world .
Sam Regenstrief, a nationally successful businessman from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making health care more efficient and accessible for all. His vision continues to guide the institute’s research mission.
About Indiana University School of Dentistry
The only dental school in the Hoosier state, Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) offers an exceptional learning environment in which teaching, research, and community service are best combined to prepare tomorrow’s dental professionals. Approximately 80 percent of dentists practicing in the state of Indiana are graduates of the school.
Founded in 1879 in Indianapolis, IUSD is located on the health sciences campus of IUPUI, one of the outstanding urban universities in the United States with a recognized commitment to community engagement. IUSD capitalizes on the campus’ central location in the state and its location on the research corridor connecting IUPUI, Purdue University West Lafayette and Indiana University Bloomington. IUSD faculty conduct world-class interdisciplinary research in collaboration with IU’s other health sciences schools and Purdue’s Schools of Engineering and Technology and Science.
About the Regenstrief-IU School of Dentistry Dental Informatics Program
The Regenstrief Institute-IU School of Dentistry Dental Informatics Program, established in 2019, is one of the few in the US and perhaps the only one affiliated with a clinical data repository managed by a regional health information exchange. The program uses electronic dental and medical record data for clinical research to develop interoperable databases and advance knowledge of oral health problems that cause, coexist with, or result from medical conditions. The aim is to implement the findings in dental clinics and other points of care.
