Epigenetic mechanisms of gingival aging: biological basis, periodontal implications, and therapeutic perspectives.

Authors

Osamu Uehara, Katsuhiko Umeda, Tetsuro Morikawa, Koki Yoshida, Yoshihiro Abiko

Published in

Odontology. Jul 07, 2026. Epub Jul 07, 2026.

Abstract

Gingival aging has become increasingly important as increasing number of individuals retain their natural dentition into older age. Beyond epithelial thinning, connective tissue remodeling, vascular alterations, and delayed healing, aging gingiva may be affected by immunosenescence, inflammaging, cellular senescence, and epigenetic dysregulation. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNA-mediated regulation, may link chronological aging and cumulative environmental exposures to altered inflammatory signaling, extracellular matrix turnover, oxidative stress responses, and tissue repair. This narrative review summarizes current knowledge of the structural, immunological, vascular, and epigenetic features of gingival aging, with particular emphasis on the relationship among biological aging, epigenetic regulation, and periodontal disease susceptibility. The review also highlights the implications of gingival aging for frailty, oral-systemic health, and future preventive or therapeutic strategies. Because gingiva-specific longitudinal human evidence remains limited, epigenetic biomarkers and aging-targeted interventions should be regarded as promising yet investigational approaches requiring further validation.

PMID:
42412383
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Jul 2026.

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