Genetic impact of aging on periodontal disease: A scoping review

Abstract

One of the factors that related to biological aging in humans is genetic. The aging process can occur due to genetic accumulation and epigenetic modification that lead to progressive cellular damage and weakened tissue functions that causing limitation of abilities to maintain the homeostasis. Increased vulnerability to a number of inflammations due to the aging process is closely related to rising in prevalence and severity of periodontitis. The purpose of this paper is to analyze immunity of the aging process and its relation to periodontal disease in genetic aspect. Biological aging is affected by genetic variation that changes several genes that causing changes of several cell functions. Changes in DNA methylation are one of the mechanisms that contribute to the aging process, including the body immune system. Aging process influences both adaptive and innate body immune system. Changes in an immune and genetic system in the aging process could increase the severity of periodontal disease. As a conclusion, periodontal disease is an inflammation that related to aging. In the aging process, there are changes in the immune system that causes elder people more susceptible to periodontal infection. In addition, genetic and epigenetic factors also play a role in periodontal changes in elderly.