Drie Nederlandse studenten onderzochten de verschillen tussen de voedingsadviezen die gegeven worden in Nederland en Amerika.
Liza van Loo (student Mondzorgkunde), Rebekka Beukers (student Voeding en diëtetiek) en Sigrid Kramer (student Voeding en diëtetiek) volgen het Honoursprogramma, voor ambitieuze paramedische studenten, aan de HAN (Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen).
In het kader van het programma interculturele en internationale competenties legden zij contact met professionals in Amerika die werken op het gebied van mondgezondheid. Zij spraken hiervoor met een medewerker van Colgate in de Verenigde Staten en met Cynthia Stegeman, de auteur van het boek “The Dental Hygienist’s Guide to Nutritional Care”. Zij vergeleken de adviezen die in Amerika worden gegeven met de de schriftelijke adviezen die gegeven worden in het Nederlandse boek Voeding & Mondgezondheid van Louise Witteman en de adviezen van het Ivoren Kruis. Met zowel het Ivoren Kruis als Louise Witteman vonden geen gesprekken plaats.
Hieronder vind je de samenvatting van het onderzoek dat is geschreven door de studenten.
The relation between nutrition and oral healthcare in the Netherlands comparing to the U.S.
Loo.L, Beukers.R, Kramer.S.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Research has shown that the cooperation between dieticians and other oral healthcare professionals could result in an improvement of the oral health care (interventions) and also prevention of diseases. There’s a relation between one’s eating pattern and their oral healthcare (Touger-Decker.R et al., 2013). Little is known in the Netherlands about the importance of the relation between nutrition and oral health care. There are no specific guidelines. This subject isn’t or for a little bit implemented in the curriculum of the studies for dentists, oral hygienists and dieticians. On the contrary in the U.S. this cooperation is stimulated. There’s more attention for the relation between nutrition and oral health care in the education system for dentists, oral hygienists and dieticians. Also there are more nutritional advices for oral health problems. This study aimed to see what the comparisons and similarities are between the nutritional advices about prevention of oral diseases in the Netherlands comparing to the U.S.
METHODS: Desk research was used to find the nutritional advices and guidelines about the prevention of oral diseases in the Netherlands. It was also used to find information and videos about nutritional advices for Dutch clients. Field research was used to investigate the relation between nutrition and oral health care in the U.S. With the help of interviews with professionals in the field of oral healthcare in the U.S., the nutritional advices and guidelines for the prevention of oral diseases were found. These interviews were also used to gather information about the role of this topic in the education of dentists, oral hygienists and dieticians in the U.S.
RESULTS: The similarities between the nutritional advices in the Netherlands and the U.S. for caries are the recommendations of diary, nuts, poultry, meat, vegetables, tea and a small fruit consumption. They both forbid candy, cookies, cakes, white bread, dried fruit and sugary drinks. The comparisons are that in the U.S. there’s a difference between fruit species and in the Netherlands it isn’t that specific, drinking milk is recommended in the U.S. whereas in the Netherlands it’s just known as a protection for the teeth but not specific recommended as water. In the U.S. it’s recommend to brush your teeth after diner and in the Netherlands minimal an hour after eating, in the U.S. chewing gum with Xylitol is highly recommended and in the Netherlands it isn’t a nutritional advice. In the Netherlands all types of sugar are dangerous and the frequency of eating is more important than the substance of food. The similarities between the nutritional advices in the Netherlands and the U.S. for teeth erosion are avoiding acid drinks like soda (also light), lemonade, juices and energy drinks. Attention for erosion habits is required like taking small sips and holding the liquid in your mouth. As prevention it’s recommended to not brush your teeth directly after diner or vomiting. The comparisons are that the extra use of milk is important in the advices of the V.S and to use chewing gum as protection against teeth erosion is common in the U.S. on the contrary with the Netherlands were using chewing gum directly after acid attack is an erosion habit. In the guideline of the Netherlands there are more erosion nutrition described in comparison with the V.S. Timing of the eating moments in the Netherlands is important (seven times a day) whereas in the U.S. this isn’t mentioned. For periodontal diseases the similarities are that the importance of the right nutrition is mentioned with the development and treatment. In the Netherlands there are only some shallow advices and in the U.S. they are more detailed (use of the right nutrients). The texture of nutrition is also important, strongly chewable, rough and food which contains fibre is recommended. Soft and sticky nutrition is not recommended. When you look at the U.S. the relation between nutrition and oral health care is a much bigger topic in de education system of dentists, oral hygienists and dieticians comparing to the Netherlands. For consumers in the Netherlands it’s more difficult to find Dutch information/videos about nutritional advices to increase the oral healthcare.
CONCLUSION: Overall, the nutritional advices about oral diseases is similar in both countries with the exception of the huge recommendation of milk and use of chewing gum with Xylitol in the U.S., the time were you brush your teeth and the frequency of eating. The Netherlands could take an example of the U.S. when you look at the implementation of the relation between nutrition and oral healthcare in the education system. When there’s more awareness about the problem and possibilities of the relation between nutrition and oral health care within the education of the Netherlands; there’s an opportunity to implement oral healthcare in the education of Nutrition and Dietetics. The behaviour of the consumers around nutrition an oral healthcare can be improved when there are more informative videos about nutritional advices in Dutch as a support for the treatment of oral diseases.
KEYWORDS: Nutrition, oral healthcare, education, caries, teeth erosion, periodontal diseases.
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