Barnett, N. and D. Rowe. A comparison of alveolar bone in young and aged mice. J. Periodontal, 57: 447; 1986.

Purpose

• 10 young (12 weeks of age) mice. 12 old (94 weeks) mice.
• Animals sacrificed, mandibles dissected, fixed.
• The area selected for study: interdental area between 1st and 2nd molars.
• measurement:
  1. CEJ to alveolar bone
  2. total area of none.
  3. disease from two CEJs to inflame infiltrate.
  4. apical extent of infla infiltrate to the alveolar bone.

Results

• Deep dentinal occlusal contours.
• CEJ of 1st molar similar to 2nd molar minimal inflam infiltrate.
• Alveolar bone smooth, few ostevclase.

• flattened dentinal occlusal contour CEJ of 2nd molar lower than CEJ of 1st inflam infiltrate.
• Cementum irregular.
• Increase cementicle.
• alveolar bone narrower M-D.

Quantitative Analysis:

• Mean area occupied by bony tissue in the interproximal region was signif diff between young and aged animal.
• CEJ to crest of alveolar bone not signif diff. Also for the nest apical extent of the inflam infiltrate to the alveolar crest.
• Aged mice showed twofold greater distance from CEJ to imflam infiltrate than young mice.

Discussion:

• The periodontia of both group healthy, no dental plaque no calculus.
• Significant loss of alveolar none in the aged mice was due to a reduction in A-P with of the alveolar crest as the area of interproximal bone decrease but no change in crest height.
• Reduction in width not related to any perio disease but to functional changes with aging.
• The occlusal wear followed by the passive eruption of the molar in the aged animals may have accounted for the change in location of the CEJ relative to the inflam infiltrate observed.
• Increase thickness of apical cementum in aged animals.
• Inflammation not a factor, because it was minimal.
• Biologic changes observed in this study. Support the concept by page that the elderly may not have an enhanced susceptibility to peri disease, more likely a consequence of the accumulation of deposit and incidence of lesions over a longer period of time.

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