A Polygenic Score Predicts Caries Experience in Elderly Swedish Adults

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Dental Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Dental caries is a multifactorial disease with a known heritable component.
• Polygenic scores (PS) are emerging tools for assessing genetic predisposition to complex diseases.
• No polygenic score for caries has been previously evaluated for clinical utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between a genome-wide polygenic score (PS) for caries and disease experience in a Swedish adult cohort.
• To assess the predictive performance of the PS for caries increment over time.

Main Methods:

• A genome-wide PS for caries was developed using existing meta-analysis data.
• The PS was applied to an independent cohort of 15,460 Swedish adults.
• Dental records were used to calculate decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces (DMFS) and remaining teeth; associations with PS were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Individuals in the highest decile of the PS had significantly higher mean DMFS compared to those in the lowest decile (63.5 vs. 46.3).
• A 1-standard deviation increase in PS was associated with a 4-unit increase in DMFS (P < 2 × 10⁻¹⁶).
• Higher PS was also linked to a greater increase in DMFS over the follow-up period, with tooth loss acting as a mediator.

Conclusions:

• A genome-wide polygenic score for caries demonstrates clinically meaningful associations with disease experience and increment in a Swedish adult population.
• The findings support the potential of using polygenic scores for improved caries risk assessment.
• Genomic data may play a future role in personalized dental care strategies for caries prevention.