A number of studies have linked periodontal disease and poor oral health to coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death in the United States. According to an article in The Oral Care Report: "With a third of all adults suffering from periodontal disease, such a relationship could have serious implications for millions of people." The article goes on to state that the number of teeth is also a factor in the relationship between CHD and periodontal disease. One study of male health care professionals, 58% of whom were dentists, found that men with periodontal disease and less than 10 teeth had an increased risk of CHD when compared to subjects with 25 or more teeth. There was no relationship to CHD found in the subjects with no periodontal disease.

Researchers have linked endotoxin produced by gram negative bacteria associated with periodontal disease with CHD. One research team offers the hypothesis that the "underlying inflammatory response trait" may place an individual at risk for developing both periodontal disease and atherosclerosis.

Another researcher states: "Dental disease is associated with an increased risk of CHD, particularly in young men." His study showed that men with dental disease who were younger than 50 had double the risk of CHD compared to men older than 50. Positive relationships with CHD have been shown for caries, periapical lesions, pericoronitis, edentia, and baseline alveolar bone loss, according to the researcher.

The link has been established. The challenge for researchers now: to find the cause.