title: Can dental pulp calcification predict the risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the association of pulp calcification with that of cardiovascular disease (CVD) using digital panoramic dental radiographs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Digital panoramic radiographs of patients referred from the angiography department were included if the patient was under 55 years old and had non-restored or minimally restored molars and canines. An oral and maxillofacial radiologist evaluated the images for pulpal calcifications in the selected teeth. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of panoramic radiography in predicting CVD were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 122 patients who met the criteria, 68.2% of the patients with CVD had pulp chamber calcifications. Pulp calcification in panoramic radiography had a sensitivity of 68.9% to predict CVD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that patients with CVD show an increased incidence of pulp calcification compared with healthy patients. The findings suggest that pulp calcification on panoramic radiography may have possibilities for use in CVD screening.
authors.affiliation: Associated Professor, Department of Oral Radiology, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Khojastepour
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Radiology, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Pegah
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bronoosh
authors.affiliation: Associated Professor, Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahdad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khosropanah
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rahimi
keywords: Cardiovascular Disease; Dental Pulp Calcification; Panoramic Radiography