CUOct Clinical Update Naval Dental School National Naval Dental Center Bethesda, Maryland Vol.
Wound healing begins with catabolic repair and occurs effectively even in the malnourished patient.
Thus, nutritional status and inadequate nutritional support can present a significant impediment to postsurgical healing. The purpose of this Clinical Update is to discuss the effect of certain dietary deficiencies on wound healing and offer recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of the malnourished patient. Protein Dietary protein, the body's source of nitrogen, is essential for the synthesis of nucleic acids, amino acids, and other derived compounds essential to the early stages of blood coagulation, such as thrombin and fibrin. Furthermore, maintenance of most tissues in man, including the periodontium, requires essential amino acids from dietary protein. Further, protein deficiencies may contribute to alterations in the mucosal barrier, thus altering the permeability of those tissues to a number of toxic compounds that can interfere with repair processes.