Oral Health Heatmap

Heatmap of 28 permanent teeth for 1,176 Tsimane adults, colour-coded from healthy (blue) to missing (red).

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Project Summary

This figure presents a novel heatmap designed to visually represent the complete oral health status of the Tsimane population of the Bolivian Amazon. The primary challenge was to synthesize a massive, multidimensional dataset—over 32,000 individual data points (1,176 participants × 28 teeth)—into a single, intuitive image. This visualization effectively communicates complex patterns of dental decay and tooth loss across age, sex, and anatomy.

The Solution & Key Features

The solution is a multi-panel heatmap that organizes the data along several clear axes:

  • Population: Data is split into two main panels for Men (n=543) and Women (n=633), allowing for immediate comparison.
  • Anatomy: Each panel is further divided into Upper and Lower Teeth, showing the distinct patterns of decay for the maxilla and mandible.
  • Tooth Type (X-axis): The horizontal axis represents all 28 permanent teeth (excluding third molars), grouped by type: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars.
  • Individuals & Age (Y-axis): Each horizontal line represents a single individual. Participants are sorted and grouped by age, from 15-24 to 75+, clearly illustrating the progression of oral health over a lifetime.
  • Health Status (Color Scale): A 5-point ordinal color scale indicates the health of each tooth, from Healthy (blue) to Missing (dark red), providing an at-a-glance measure of disease severity.

Key Insights & Significance

This visualization makes complex trends immediately apparent:

  1. Unprecedented Data Density: It successfully displays over 32,000 data points in one coherent image.
  2. At-a-Glance Pattern Recognition: The visual structure allows for rapid identification of key trends, such as molars showing the earliest decay and canine teeth demonstrating remarkable resilience.
  3. Clear Progression Over the Lifespan: The vertical sorting by age effectively creates a timeline, showing how oral health deteriorates from young adulthood into old age.
  4. Direct Gender and Anatomical Comparison: The side-by-side panel layout highlights that Tsimane women tend to experience more severe and earlier tooth loss than men.
  5. Actionable, Tooth-Specific Insights: The granular detail provides specific information on which teeth are most vulnerable, allowing for highly targeted preventative recommendations.