Cellular Senescence and Periodontal Diseases: An Overview

Cellular senescence refers to the progressive decline in cellular function with aging. Inflammaging keys a chronic low-grade sterile inflammatory state that arises with aging. Together, they lead to a dysfunctional immune response. Periodontitis, chronic inflammatory condition affecting the supporting tooth structures, could lead to tissue damage and tooth loss. The host’s innate and adaptive host immune responses are crucial for maintaining periodontal health. Interestingly, the prevalence of periodontitis increases with age. To this end, we conducted a literature search using PubMed, Ovid and EBSCO to identify English-written articles discussing the interplay between cellular senescence and periodontal inflammation. Our research indicated that cellular senescence and inflammaging lead to an imbalanced inflammatory response within the periodontium. This imbalance exacerbates tissue damage and dysregulates the host defenses against common periodontal pathogens. Therefore, proper understanding of age-related immune dysregulation may help in developing strategies to improve geriatric patients’ oral health.