Dental Score

In this project we examined the relationship between oral health and cardiovascular disease by performing a detailed oral/ periodontal examination on a sample of 553 adults from the greater Pittsburgh region who were already participating in the Heart Score Study - which was gathering longitudinal information on their cardiovascular health. In addition, we obtained DNA from these individuals to search for genetic variants that contribute to both oral and cardiovascular health. The ultimate goal of this research project is to use the data from this study to begin to dissect the genetic mechanisms by which periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease are connected.