Biochemical basis of dental aging.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7 Resumo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 Materials and Methods --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Teeth Composition and Structure ---------------------------------------------------------------------10 Enamel Biochemical Composition --------------------------------------------------------------------11 Dentin Biochemical Composition ----------------------------------------------------------------------12 Phosphoproteins in dentin --------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 Proteoglycans in dentin ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 Pulp Composition ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 Cement Composition ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17 Age related changes in Enamel -------------------------------------------------------------------------18 Age-related changes in Dentin --------------------------------------------------------------------------19 Age-related changes in Odontoblasts ---------------------------------------------------------------22 Age-related changes in Pulp -----------------------------------------------------------------------------23 Age-related changes in Cement ------------------------------------------------------------------------25 Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26 References --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27 REVIEW ARTICLE Porto 2012 Patrícia Manuela Nogueira Igreja (cmd071301080) 7 Abstract Old people represent a high percentage of worldwide population. As the population ages, the demand for health care professionals who know the particularities of aging and care for the elderly, also grows. With the improvements in preventive dentistry and the decline of caries in young individuals, the number of fully dentate patients is increasing. The teeth show signs of changes with age, mainly in their form and color. The color change is a direct consequence of aging. Changes in biochemical and physiological processes with aging occur in all body tissues. Although most living tissues have the capacity to repair or renew themselves, the dentition is a notable exception. Given enough use for long enough, the crowns of the teeth must wear away as inevitably as the moving parts of a machine. The dental tissues undergo age-related changes that could be ascribed to physiological, defensive, or pathological irritant-induced changes. These changes are regulated by cell activities and by a variety of macromolecules that play important roles in growth regulation, tissue differentiation and organization, formation of calcified tissue, defense mechanisms and reactions to inflammatory stimuli. Clinically, it is important to recognize these changes and to develop planning strategies which take account of them. Emphasis must be placed on preventive regimes and treatment delivery which is sympathetic to the demands of our existing elderly and aging population. The aim of this revision is to better understand the biochemical changes that underlie the modification of the dental structure in the aging process.