Evaluation of Dental Plaque and Saliva Microbiome and Their Association With Periodontal Parameters in Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women

The study examines the saliva and dental plaque microbiome of women aged 35-65 in two groups: postmenopausal (case) and premenopausal (control). For this purpose, Illumina Platform to sequence 16S rRNA gene regions will be used. The data will be analyzed using the QIIME2 bioinformatics tool. Serum estradiol levels will be determined by the ELISA method. The investigators will examine the relationship between microbiome data (alpha diversity, beta diversity, and relative abundance) and menopausal status, estradiol levels, and periodontal health status using linear statistical models. Clinical samples of the study will be collected at Ege University, and the laboratory studies and sequence analysis will be conducted at the Forsyth Institute in Boston.

To obtain longitudinal data besides the cross-sectional data, the investigators will contact the participants of a previous study from 2019, whose saliva, dental plaque, and serum samples are currently being stored at -80 °C, and ask them to participate for a second sampling.