Louis Rose, DDS, MD, a retired Philadelphia periodontist and clinical professor who was among the first to research the links between gum disease and systemic conditions including diabetes and heart disease, died Sept. 30 at the age of 84, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Oct. 7.
Dr. Rose earned his dental degree from Temple University School of Dentistry in 1968 and a medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania — now part of Drexel University — in 1972. He completed his graduate training in periodontics at the University of Pennsylvania, where he later served as a clinical professor and developed a program that placed dental and medical students in shared classes.
In addition to the link between oral health and systemic conditions, Dr. Rose is also credited with pioneering the development of tooth implants, laser dental surgery and improved safety procedures in the field.
Dr. Rose was a past president of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry and the Northeastern Society of Periodontists, a director of the American Board of Periodontology and vice president for research at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He also received the Gold Medal Award from the American Academy of Periodontology in 2013.
