Aging has garnered significant scientific interest due to its extensive biological and social implications. We are currently witnessing an increase in life expectancy, accompanied by a strong desire for healthy and active aging. Oral health plays a crucial role in this process, as it is closely linked to systemic diseases. Effective oral hygiene acts as a protective factor, not only from a mechanical standpoint—helping maintain the condition of teeth and prosthetics—but also from a chemical perspective. Good conditions of teeth and prosthetics, combined with adequate salivary flow, promote optimal intraoral digestion, enhancing enzymatic processes in the stomach and intestines. Moreover, understanding cell types within the oral cavity and their modifications with aging is also critical in this context.

The cumulative effect of these care practices is closely related to successful aging, impacting both functionality and the metabolic and physiological changes associated with aging. Core factors such as diet and physical exercise also contribute significantly, highlighting the importance of structures like the tongue, lips, and buccal mucosa muscles and their associated cell types. A healthy diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains, provides the oral cavity with essential micronutrients, benefiting saliva and oral microbiota. In this way, successful aging begins with good oral health, incorporating proper hygiene, a healthy diet, and effective intraoral digestion—laying the foundation for more efficient biological processes.

Good cognitive function, physical abilities, and emotional balance are essential to successful aging. Many studies have identified tooth loss and periodontal disease as high-risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. Key questions include: How do oral fragility markers relate to overall fragility? Are these markers precursors to frailty? How do modifications in oral cell types with aging affect local and systemic health? Elderly individuals who become frail often face multiple systemic diseases, daily activity impairments, and imbalances in their oral health. This can lead to a decline in social performance and psycho-emotional deficits. Therefore, a detailed understanding of scientific advances in oral health, with an updated perspective on its role in successful aging, is a desirable goal for the scientific community.

The main objective of this Research Topic is to explore the relationship between oral health and successful aging from a multidisciplinary perspective. A key focus relates to the significant advances made in this area over the past five years, including knowledge gained from research on the human cell atlas, and understanding the exact connections/cell-cell interactions that promote or prevent general health issues. Key areas of interest include investigating the chemical properties of saliva that support digestion and immunity, as well as changes in oral motricity with aging. Additionally, it is important to define the similarities and differences in cell phenotypes within the oral cavity and compare them to other cell types in the body as they age. Another crucial focus is examining the interplay between oral hygiene, socialization, and healthy aging.

We welcome studies focusing on elderly patients, aging, and oral health, including original articles, reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical cases. Suggested topics include:

· Periodontal disease and tooth loss in cognitive processes

· Craniofacial relationships, teeth, and posture

· Sleep apnea and dental arches

· Oral motricity and swallowing

· Salivary properties and metabolic processes

· Oral fragility and aging

· Cell types within the oral cavity, and modifications with aging

· Oral prosthetics and mental health

· Oral hygiene and pulmonary diseases

· How integrated health systems can aid in successful aging

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Frontiers in Dental Medicine

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