Introduction
People need self-dietary assessment to help them fast-track their eating history and reduce the risk of developing dental diseases. Increased consumption of sugars is the greatest risk factor associated with dental health. Dental caries are linked to economic burdens, especially when patients fail to report to their workplaces. In the US, dental carries are among the leading childhood, extending to the early adulthood stage, and cost the nation at least US$ 5 billion annually (Fleming et al., 2018). Being a nutritionally sound medical practitioner, I meet the government’s recommended dietary guidelines for fat, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Dietary analysis individual can assist in combating this problem, especially when performed for potential dental caries individuals, which follows the SOAP model—an acronym representing subjective, objective assessment and plan for future diet.
Patient Profile/Subjective Information
Charlotte, an 18-year-old female from Pennsylvania, reports to my desk and requests dietary analysis and a 24-hour diet plan for her. Charlotte’s current weight is 148 pounds, in addition to having a height of 5.6 feet (5 feet and 6 inches) and a body mass index (BMI) of
. Besides, Charlotte performs moderate physical exercise of less than 30min per day. BMI is useful in this case because it helps in predicting certain conditions that are linked to dental caries. Charlotte attests to having suffered from arthritis, being overweight, high cholesterol, and diabetes. According to Barrington et al. (2019), a higher BMI is regarded as a risk factor for developing various conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, cancer, diabetes, overweight, high blood pressure, liver disease, sleep apnoea, and high cholesterol (Callahan et al., 2020; Hancock et al., 2020). Nonetheless, BMI measurements never account for body density, it can mislead one to judge underweight and overweight conditions, while someone might not necessarily be unhealthy.
Using the MyFitnessPal app, I established a deficiency of some minerals and vitamins, unlike others, which were consumed in large quantities over the past 4 days. The inadequate minerals include fluorine, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. A deficiency of fluorine can lead to osteoporosis and dental caries. It has stemmed from inadequate fluoridated water in the diet over the past 2 days. Insufficient calcium in the body invokes it to absorb calcium from the teeth, which has since weakened my teeth and consequently elevates the risk of tooth damage and decay. The presence of less magnesium has resulted in soft dental enamel, making my teeth susceptible to acid corrosion, which is the greatest risk for tooth decay. This might have occurred due to exposure to fluoride iron when drinking water. Deficiency of potassium is also another risk associated with tooth decay and has been caused by insufficient intake of guacamole—a dish of mashed avocado mixed with chopped tomatoes, onions, seasoning, and chili peppers. On the other hand, I have a deficiency of minerals vitamins such as A, C, and D. These vitamins are essential for proper calcification and deposition of tooth structure.
Objective Information/ Caries Risk Assessment
Objective information is obtained from an oral examination; Charlotte is examined orally in two ways, including a background history check and physical assessment. From a historical point of view, Charlotte has symptoms such as malocclusion, bleeding, new growths, pain, chewing problem, numbness, and to some extent a feeling of severe signs like decreasing oral intake coupled with the loss of weight (Sulyanto, 2021). As noted by Sampaio et al. (2021), these symptoms can be associated with risk factors such as tobacco smoking and alcoholism, promoting the development of neck and head cancers. Charlotte might be using alcohol and tobacco, which are the main agents of dental caries.
A thorough inspection of the thorough use of head-mounted light to identify defects in the faces, teeth, mouth, and more, as shown in the risk assessment pdf attached. By observing her face, it is established that Charlotte had a more marked asymmetry, which might be indicating an underlying disorder, either acquired or congenital periodontal condition. In addition, Charlotte’s teeth are inspected for alignment, shape, defects, mobility, color, material alba, or the presence of adherent plaque. She has a loose tooth with calculus taking the form of a mineralized bacterial plaque. This shows the presence of a serious periodontal disease (Sulyanto, 2021). The mineralized bacterial plaque might have emanated due to the presence of concrete bacteria, saliva, mucus, and food residue with phosphate and calcium salts. Her tooth enamel has white spots due to demineralization.
As a show of teeth-wearing, Charlotte finds chewing difficult due to pain, which at times extends to non-carious teeth. As a result, they become more painful, especially when the eroding enamel exposes the underlying dentin. Charlotte’s teeth are also deformed, indicating the presence of an endocrine or developmental disorder. Her dentin is dull bluish-brown, indicating the presence of Dentinogenesis imperfecta, as suggested by Sulyanto (2021). Moreover, her teeth seem to be portraying a combined dark-yellow color, which might have been caused by food pigments or, most prominently, tobacco smoking. The mouth-based assessment detects the presence of an abnormal distribution of keratinized and nonkeratinized oral mucosa. This has made Charlotte’s keratinized-based tissue appear white, and this abnormality is called leucoplakia. Last but not least, the inability to open her mouth swiftly is linked to temporomandibular disorder, which is caused by diseases such as systemic sclerosis, pericoronitis, ankylosis, arthritis, and more.
Focusing on Charlotte’s subjective and objective information, she seems to be intaking meals with foods that are associated with high risks of causing periodontal diseases or dental caries. These include foods with more added sugars, such as sugary beverages, cakes, candy, brownies, cookies, ice cream, donuts, jams, sweet toppings, and more. Examples of added sugars include fructose, brown rice syrup, dextrose, honey, molasses, sucrose, sugar cane juice, pancake syrup, and liquid fructose, among others. Food with high saturated fat content is also linked with an increased risk of causing dental caries. As such, they include chicken, butter, cream, palm, pork, stick margarine, and more. Charlotte might have also been taking foods with high sodium content, including but not limited to processed meat and poultry, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, sauces, and more. Above all, Charlotte is considered a potential tobacco smoker or an alcoholic addict. Charlotte’s diet promotes tooth decay or dental caries.
Using MyPlate App to Determine Energy Requirements
The MyPlate app is used to determine the energy content required by individuals based on their profile information. The first step involved feeding of age (18 years), followed by sex (female). The analyst further indicated that the patient is neither breastfeeding nor pregnant. After indicating a weight of 148 pounds, the height of 5.6 feet, and a moderated physical activity of less than 30 min/day, the app calculated the energy needed by Charlotte to be 1,800 calories. Using the chart provided by the professor as part of the instruction, such energy requirement makes it necessary for Charlotte to consume an overall beverage (8 cups/day), including water. The above-stated energy content is used in determining specific food requirements for the 24-hour, as outlined in the plan section.
Summary of a 24-hour Food Plan for Charlotte
The benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite. Small changes matter. Start Simple with MyPlate.
A healthy eating routine is important at every stage of life and can have positive effects that add up over time. It’s important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. When deciding what to eat or drink, choose options that are full of nutrients. Make every bite count.
Food Group Amounts for 1,800 Calories a Day for Ages 14+ Years
Choose foods and beverages with less added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Limit:
- Added sugars to <45 grams a day.
- Saturated fat to <20 grams a day.
- Sodium to <2,300 milligrams a day.
Be active your way:
- Children 6 to 17 years old should move 60 minutes every day. Adults should be physically active at least 21/2 hours per week.
MyPlate Plan
Write down the foods you ate today and track your small changes, bite by bite.
Food group targets for a 1,800-calorie* pattern are:
- Write down your food choices for each food group.
- Did you reach your target?
Conclusion
Performing dietary analysis is among the strategies that nutritionists are using to curb dietary disorders and tooth decay is never an exclusion. There is a need to rally dental patients to avoid consuming foods that place them at a higher risk of periodontal diseases. The category foods that should be avoided include those with high content of saturated fats, sodium minerals, and sugars. In addition, they should avoid consuming alcohol and smoking tobacco.
References
Barrington, G., Khan, S., Kent, K., Brennan, D. S., Crocombe, L. A., & Bettiol, S. (2019). Obesity, dietary sugar and dental caries in Australian adults. International dental journal, 69(5), 383-391. Web.
Callahan, A., Leonard, H., & Powell, T. (2020). Nutrition: Science and everyday application. Pressbooks. Web.
Fleming, E. B., Nguyen, D., Afful, J., Carroll, M. D., & Woods, P. D. (2018). Prevalence of daily flossing among adults by selected risk factors for periodontal disease-United states, 2011-2014. Journal of Periodontology, 89(8), 933-939. Web.
Hancock, S., Zinn, C., & Schofield, G. (2020). The consumption of processed sugar‐ and starch‐containing foods, and dental caries: A systematic review. European Journal of Oral Sciences, 128(6), 467-475. Web.
Sampaio, F. C., Bönecker, M., Paiva, S. M., Martignon, S., Ricomini Filho, A. P., Pozos-Guillen, A., Oliveira, B. H., Bullen, M., Naidu, R., Guarnizo-Herreño, C., Gomez, J., Malheiros, Z., Stewart, B., Ryan, M., & Pitts, N. (2021). Dental caries prevalence, prospects, and challenges for Latin America and Caribbean countries: A summary and final recommendations from a regional consensus. Brazilian Oral Research, 35(suppl 1). Web.
Sulyanto, R. (2021). Evaluation of the dental patient. MSD Manual. Web.