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1 | | -# A Comprehensive Heatmap of Oral Health in the Tsimane Population |
2 | | - |
3 | | - |
4 | | -*A heatmap visualization of oral health status across 28 permanent teeth for 1,176 individuals (543 men, 633 women), sorted and grouped by age.* |
5 | | - |
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +layout: default |
| 3 | +title: Oral-health Heatmap |
6 | 4 | --- |
7 | 5 |
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8 | | -## Project Summary |
9 | | - |
10 | | -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, making the data accessible to both expert and non-expert audiences. |
11 | | - |
12 | | -## The Solution & Key Features |
13 | | - |
14 | | -The solution is a multi-panel heatmap that organizes the data along several clear axes: |
15 | | - |
16 | | -* **Population:** Data is split into two main panels for **Men (n=543)** and **Women (n=633)**, allowing for immediate comparison. |
17 | | -* **Anatomy:** Each panel is further divided into **Upper and Lower Teeth**, showing the distinct patterns of decay for the maxilla and mandible. |
18 | | -* **Tooth Type (X-axis):** The horizontal axis represents all 28 permanent teeth (excluding third molars), grouped by type: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. |
19 | | -* **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. |
20 | | -* **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. |
21 | | - |
22 | | -## Key Insights & Significance |
23 | | - |
24 | | -This visualization makes complex trends immediately apparent: |
25 | | - |
26 | | -1. **Unprecedented Data Density:** It successfully displays over 32,000 data points in one coherent image, a feat that would be impossible with traditional charts or tables. |
27 | | -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. |
28 | | -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. This helps identify critical age ranges where interventions might be most effective. |
29 | | -4. **Direct Gender and Anatomical Comparison:** The side-by-side panel layout highlights subtle but significant differences in oral health patterns, revealing that Tsimane women tend to experience more severe and earlier tooth loss than men. |
30 | | -5. **Actionable, Tooth-Specific Insights:** The granular detail provides specific information on which teeth are most vulnerable, allowing for highly targeted preventative recommendations. |
| 6 | +<main> |
| 7 | + <h1>{{ page.title }}</h1> |
| 8 | + <p class="lead"> |
| 9 | + A visual census of dental status in <strong>1 176 Tsimane adults</strong>. |
| 10 | + </p> |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | + <img class="heatmap" |
| 13 | + src="oral-health-heatmap.png" |
| 14 | + alt="Heatmap of 28 permanent teeth for 1 176 Tsimane adults, colour-coded from healthy (blue) to missing (red)."> |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | + <p> |
| 17 | + <a href="oral-health-heatmap.png" download> |
| 18 | + Download the full-resolution PNG |
| 19 | + </a> |
| 20 | + </p> |
| 21 | +</main> |
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