A review of aging of dental components and a retrospective radiographic study of aging of the dental pulp and dentin in normal teeth.

A review of aging of dental components is followed by a clinical radiographic study. Patients received radiographs at 5-year intervals with a 10-year minimum followup. Data obtained were age, gender, tooth, and systemic diseases. Measurements taken were tooth length, coronal length, apical length, cervical width, midroot width, and apical width. Root canal shrinkage was calculated vertically, horizontally, and as a combination (vertical and horizontal). Results showed statistically significantly more shrinkage in men, the elderly, and people with calcification-related diseases. Shrinkage increased with advancing age. With further studies, radiographically determined root canal measurements could prove useful in anthropology, forensics, and as a biomarker of aging.