Are Gum Disease and Heart Disease Related?   Dr. Jeanne Taylor, DDS, explains what the American Heart Association says about the relationship between these two diseases.

The American Heart Association issued a new statement in May 2012 regarding the relationship between gum disease and heart disease.  It states that “studies have found an association between the two diseases that cannot be explained by the common risk factors” (such as smoking, age and diabetes).  It goes on to note that more evidence is needed to establish an incontestable causative relationship between periodontal disease and atherosclerotic heart disease.