Matt and guest Jonathan An, Assistant Professor of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Dentistry, discuss oral health and its relationship to aging, including published studies involving rapamycin effects on oral health. This is a 3-part episode.

Check out the links below for further information and/or reading about some of the things we discussed in this podcast episode. Note that we do not necessarily endorse or agree with the content of these readings, but present them as supplementary material that may deepen your understanding of the topic after you listen to our podcast. This list is in no way exhaustive, but it’s a good start!

Aging and Oral Health with Dr. Jonathan An!

Jonathan recently appeared on Lets Get Oral, a podcast that explores oral health from multiple angles—think the oral microbiome, taste, bad breath. In this episode, Jonathan talks about how our teeth change as we get older, the potential impact of medications on oral health, why he supports taking a more systemic approach to dental care, and more.

Oral health in geroscience: animal models and the aging oral cavity

Animal models are indispensable tools for studying the biology of aging. They provide insight into underlying mechanisms of aging, enable scientists to test interventions that promote healthy aging, and advance our understanding of age-related diseases. While animal models have their limitations, their use in research allows for controlled experimentation and the generation of valuable data that can ultimately benefit human healthspan and longevity. Jonathan and our host Matt Kaeberlein co-authored this journal article about which animal models are best suited for studying the intersection of aging and oral disease. They discuss rodents, the current premier preclinical models for geroscience research, as well as dogs and nonhuman primates such as the southern pig-tailed macaque.

Rapamycin rejuvenates oral health in aging mice

In 2020, Jonathan and Matt demonstrated that rapamycin treatment rejuvenated the aged oral cavity of older mice. The treatment reversed "clinically defining features of periodontal disease", including periodontal bone loss, periodontal inflammation, and pathogenic oral microbiome changes. This paper lends support to the idea that interventions that target mechanisms of biological aging may delay multiple age-related declines. Further work should investigate whether the rejuvenating effects of rapamycin persist after the treatment period as well as whether rapamycin improves other oral health declines that commonly occur with age, such as salivary function.

Oral health for healthy aging

This article calls for an end to the siloing of oral health from general health care. The authors note that the global prevalence of oral disease is higher than it should be, given the preventable nature of most oral diseases, and that this prevalence is likely to worsen with population aging. They make suggestions for concrete policy action and mindset shifts towards addressing the burden of oral disease care, including shifting dental care models away from curative and interventionist models and towards more preventative upstream action.

Aging and Dental Health

This is a short primer from the American Dental Association about the clinical and oral health context of older adults. By one estimate, 68 percent of adults aged 65 years and older have periodontis. The primer covers comorbid conditions; the potential impact of common medications for age-related conditions on oral health; and cognitive, physical, and sensory limitations affecting dental care and home oral care.