Best dental clinic in 200 Feet Radial road Why would cardiovascular disease and poor oral health be connected? A number of theories have been proposed, including: The bacteria that infect the gums and cause gingivitis and periodontitis also travel to blood vessels elsewhere in the body where they cause blood vessel inflammation and damage; tiny blood clots, heart attack and stroke may follow. Supporting this idea is the finding of remnants of oral bacteria within atherosclerotic blood vessels far from the mouth. Then again, antibiotic treatment has not proven effective at reducing cardiovascular risk. Rather than bacteria causing the problem, it's the body's immune response — inflammation — that sets off a cascade of vascular damage throughout the body, including the heart and brain. There may be no direct connection between gum disease and cardiovascular disease; the reason they may occur together is that there is a third factor (such as smoking) that's a risk factor for both conditions. Other potential "confounders" include genetic contributions to both disorders, poor include poor access to healthcare and lack of exercise — perhaps people without health insurance or who don't take good care of their overall health are more likely to have poor oral health and heart disease.