Aging and Glycation in Teeth

Abstract

Advanced glycation end-products （AGEs） accumulate with aging or with diabetes. AGEs affect the physical properties of human dentin, resulting in fragility and browning. In particular, pentosidine, a cross-linked AGE, was found to be significantly increased in aged dentin or caries-affected dentin. The shorter fluorescence lifetime of dentinal collagen in carious teeth as compared to healthy teeth suggests that AGEs result in shortening of the fluorescence lifetime. AGEs are also thought to affect blood vessels in the pulp. In recent years, research has been conducted to mitigate the effects of AGEs with supplements or drugs. In this review, we present the details and latest findings of research related to glycation of dental tissue.