Gum Disease and Heart Disease

Periodontal bacteria travel from the oral cavity into the blood stream, causing systemic inflammation. The presence of dangerous oral bacteria is a root cause that drives systemic inflammation and damages the blood vessel lining: the first step toward heart attack and stroke. Pro-inflammatory mediators are released in response to periodontal disease driving insulin resistance, which causes arterial damage and CVD. Periodontal disease is the only known disease to increase LpPla2 which increases plaque vulnerability and plays a direct role in CVD progression.