Oral Health Impacts on Flavor and Significance in Dental Treatment.

The mouth is pivotal in the generation of flavor, the pleasure of eating, and the selection of food. Flavor-representing the integration of olfaction (smell) with gustation (physiologic taste) and as influenced by oral somatosenses-is rarely afforded attention in oral research and dental practice. This article considers the interrelationship between oral health and flavor and highlights gaps in current knowledge. Altered oral function associated with operative and restorative treatment can feasibly alter the perception of flavor through diverse ways. Oral diseases and the generation of biofilms on restorative materials have potential to influence the oral microbiota and the perception of flavor. Alterations in masticatory function (through tooth loss, restorative materials, and prostheses with nonbiological surfaces and shapes) compounded by associated influences in the composition and quantity of saliva can affect the release of odorants and tastants from foods and beverages. Furthermore, changes occur in the perception of flavor throughout life and are significant in the aging and medically compromised population with the potential to affect nutrition and pleasure. Dental research and clinical practice should be at the forefront of biomedical science in understanding and promoting the importance and relevance of flavor in the well-being of patients. However, more research is required to guide clinical practice in consideration of olfactory and gustatory function as a component of total patient care. This commentary highlights the research gaps in knowledge pertaining to the association between oral health and flavor and the significance of flavor to dental practice.