‘Sans Teeth’: Changes in Oral Tissues with Advancing Age

Age‐Progressive Changes in Pulp Widths and Root Lengths During Adulthood: A Study of American Blacks and Whites

“…As such, dentin exposure from attrition (itself age-progressive) would exacerbate the rate of deposition. Concurrent decreases in vascularity and nerve supply of the pulp may also be contributory [Bernick, 1967;Nedelman & Bernick, 1978, 1981 as are decreases with age observed in the densities of fibroblasts and odontoblasts [Mendis & Darling, 1979;Miles, 1972;Symons, 1967],…”

“…Of course, the rate and severity of each of these conditions vary appreciably between individuals and can be slowed or accelerated depending on the person's oral hygiene, habits, and, perhaps, genetic predisposition. On the other hand, the high prevalence and age-progressive nature of these changes -along with age-dependent differences in related organs and tissue systems [Mackenzie et al, 1986] -lead to predictable population trends [Johanson, 1971;Johnson et al, 1973;Miles, 1972].…”

Progressive changes in the pulpo‐dentinal complex and their clinical consequences

“…The size of the odontoblast layer changes from columnar in young (11)(12)(13)(14)(15) year old) to cuboidal in older {50-60 year old) samples'\ This may be caused by the crowding of eells resulting from eontinuous dentine formation'**. The secretory eells which are responsible for laying down the collagen precursors for dentine formation change during their lifecycle.…”

Relationship between body mass index and the remaining alveolar ridge

“…Severe RRR may also occur in individuals with good mineral status in the skeleton, and the height of the ridge does not seem to be related to the bone mineral density of the ridge (Klemetti & Vainio, 1993). Initiation of RRR is always preceded by loss of teeth and their periodontal membranes, the latter of which have the ability to form bone (Miles, 1972).…”