Role of nutrition in oral and maxillofacial surgery patients

Diet, nutrition, and dental health are closely related and have multidirectional impacts. Any oral diseases, may it be congenital, infective, traumatic, inflammatory, or neoplastic, affect routine functions of the oral cavity and even after corrective surgeries done to improve may adversely affect the food and fluid intake and further compromises nutritional status. Unlike other general surgeries, the surgeries done in oral and maxillofacial region impairs normal food intake, especially by mouth which is the preferred commonly used route. This oral cavity being harbored by multiple organisms makes it prone to further infection which again hampers the healing. Oral surgeries include the dentoalveolar region for the treatment of fracture or prosthetic reasons, for maxillofacial trauma, orthognathic surgeries, tumors, cleft lip and palate correction, etc., Nutrition plays a major role in the postoperative recovery and healing. Malnutrition in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) patients increases the postoperative morbidity and mortality rate. Nutrition in jaw fractures treated with intermaxillary fixation is more compromised. Healing is impaired in malnourished, critically ill, elderly, and patients with prolonged stay in hospital and hence nutrition in the form of enteral, parenteral, and oral sip feeding plays a major role in providing nutritional care. Preoperative nutrition and perioperative nutrition influence the postoperative outcome and hence metabolic and nutritional care is important for the uneventful healing. This article provides a basic review of the role of nutrition in the postoperative outcome of OMFS patients based on the search through articles in journal and internet.