For years, we have suspected that certain periodontal disease bacteria can clog arteries and blood vessels. Arterial plaques have been discovered to contain bacteria from the oral cavity. Recently, researchers showed that one species of gum disease bacteria, P. gingivalis, has been shown to cause and accelerate formation of coronary and aortic atherosclerosis. It is understood that coronary artery disease is an inflammatory disease. The gene that turns on an inflammatory protein was discovered after P. gingivalis was introduced to the arterial cells.
