gum disease is by itself a risk factor for coronary artery disease according to several published studies. other research found a direct link between clogged arteries in the legs and gum disease. an analysis of the large national health and nutrition examination survey found that gum disease is an important risk factor for diseases of the blood vessels and the arteries that supply the brain especially strokes involving insufficient blood or oxygen to the brain. other studies uncovered no association between gum disease and stroke. and experts say the link between gum disease and heart disease is far from definitive. “at this point there is a consensus that we are still unaware of solid science to show a direct link [between heart health and oral health] with the exception of two areas " says sam low dds associate dean at the university of florida college of dentistry in gainesville and president of the american academy of periodontology. these are: bacteria found in both health problems are similar. inflammation is another common denominator for both diseases. when people have moderate to severe gum disease their levels of c-reactive protein (crp) a protein that rises during whole-body inflammation increase. crp levels are also used to assess a person's risk of a heart attack.
is there a connection between gum disease and heart disease?