New research is reinforcing the longstanding belief that a connection exists between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, but according to Moise Desvarieux, an epidemiologist at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the nature of the relationship is still unclear and patients cannot rely only on good oral hygiene as a way to reduce their risk for heart disease.

They must manage other risk factors for the disease as well. 'It appears a relationship exists, but we don't know exactly what it is and if it is a causal relationship,' said Desvarieux. 'Therefore, we can't make recommendations for people with periodontal disease in respect to cardiovascular disease.' Desvarieux said that patients must manage all the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, including smoking, diabetes, and weight.

Most research on the relationship between oral and cardiovascular health has been specifically on the clinical level. Dentists measure for signs of periodontal disease, including gum inflammation, gum pocket depth, or spacing around each tooth and tooth-bone attachment loss and compare these data to ultrasound measurements of the carotid artery. If cholesterol or fatty build up is detected on the wall of the artery, there's a good chance the patient has atherosclerosis, a direct link to future stroke and cardiovascular disease. Desvarieux and a collaborative team including researchers from the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine and neurologists at the College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University Medical Center, took this research one step further.

Speaking at a recent American Dental Association media briefing, he said: 'Our research brings in the microbiological factors that may connect the two diseases. We analysed bacterial samples from the oral cavity, three of which are specifically associated with periodontal disease. We found that those patients with one or any combination of these three bacteria also had atherosclerosis.' Desvarieux hypothesises that the atherosclerosis may be a result of bacteria from gum infection entering the bloodstream, creating inflammation in other parts of the body. However, he cautions 'Because both pieces of the puzzle were being measured simultaneously, we don't know which came first and we can't say whether the relationship is causal.' Desvarieux said that more research is needed.