This project examines the status of various oral tissues during physiologic ging. The current emphasis is to study cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of ag g on oral physiology in a variety of populations: healthy whites and blacks of differ t ages, and subjects with well controlled systemic diseases. The influence of systemic isease and its treatment on aging and the oral cavity has become an important focus in ur investigations. Clinical evaluation of participants involves an oral healt questionnaire, collection of unstimulated and stimulated parotid and subman bular gland salivas, a comprehensive examination of dental, periodontal, and mucosal ti ues, an oral motor exam, and the determination of pressure, gustatory, and olfactory sen tivities. During this reporting period, results from cross-sectional studies suggest at subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes generally have similar dental, ingival, periodontal, and oral mucosal health compared to healthy controls. Cross-s tional studies reveal that smell identification diminishes with increased age, fem es have superior smell function compared to males across the life-span, and that in viduals with medical problems and taking prescription medications are more likely to be osmic. Generally healthy, community-dwelling and urban older blacks have more toot loss, greater attachment levels, and greater number of teeth with coronal restorations co ared to younger, healthy blacks. However, the general oral condition of older blac is good, perhaps due to regular general and oral health care. Results from longitud al studies in healthy individuals of different ages reveal that 5 constituents commonly f nd in stimulated parotid saliva are not diminished over a 10 year period. A ten ar longitudinal periodontal study indicates that attachment level increases ov time which is independent of age, accounted primarily by recession and not pocket dept
