Nutrition Bytes

Dental wound healing is a complex process that can be affected by several factors, including nutrition. Therefore, it is important to take into consideration the nutritional status of a patient prior to dental surgeries. There are several nutrients needed for adequate wound healing, which include macronutrients, vitamins and several trace minerals. The aim of this paper is to guide the dentist in understanding recommended nutritional doses, how they affect wound healing, and the potential need for nutritional supplementation in pre-operative dental patients to aid healing after invasive dental surgery.