Clinical and Laboratory Assessment of Dental Status: Age Characteristics, Dynamics of Indicators of Resistance of Oral Fluid

Abstract

As a result of aging process, the state of human body homeostasis undergoes the changes. In the tooth-jaw system, such changes lead to a shift of the balance in the remodeling-demineralization processes. Their intensity and dynamics depend on the properties of oral fluid, which plays an important role for the ensuring of physiological processes of oral cavity. The purpose of the work was clinical assessment of the dental status, examination of calcium homeostasis, activity of phosphatases and protein metabolism of oral fluid in patients of different age groups and their features under conditions of dental prosthetics. 103 patients aged from 18 to 89 years were examined who were assessed for the intensity of dental caries damage (DMF index), the state of hygiene and soft tissues (OHI-S and PMA indexes). The level of total and ionized calcium, the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases, the content of total protein, and the state of its acid-base balance (pH) were determined in the oral fluid. It was found that with the age in the oral fluid the concentration of total and ionized calcium increases, acid and alkaline phosphatases become active, the content of total protein rises against the background of a decrease the intensity of salivation, the acid-base balance shifts to the alkaline side, the mineralization of tooth enamel increases, and the risk of hard dental deposits formation increases. Age characteristics of oral fluid resistance correlate with the intensity of dental caries damage, the state of hygiene and periodontal tissues. The changes of studied parameters in persons of the older age groups correlate with the results, that were found in patients with significant tooth loss (most of them are advanced and senile). It was found that the use of prostheses for replacement of dentition defects has a positive effect on the parameters of oral fluid, which ensure the resistance of hard teeth tissues and the bone base of the alveolar processes.