Heart Disease
• Individuals who are having a heart attack are more likely to have serious inflammation of gum tissue known as periodontal disease than those with no known heart disease

• Periodontitis patients have significantly higher blood levels of C-Reactive Protein which is predictive of heart disease, and as a predictor for heart disease, is superior to and independent of cholesterol,and has been identified as a cause of blood clots.

• The presence of gum disease might increase the risk of a second heart attack in people with a history of heart disease.

• Live Oral Bacteria have been found in arterial plaque

• People with severe periodontitis have a special type of LDL cholesterol which is 3-6 times more likely to cause a heart attack Diabetes

• Periodontal disease can increase the likelihood of diabetes

• Type II diabetics show 7.5 fold increase in mortality rate with periodontal disease

Pregnancy Outcomes
• Odds ratio for PTB for women with periodontal infection is over 7.0

• Likelihood of Pre-Term Birth is 28% for women with Periodontal disease.

With this evidence that in fact periodontal disease may be a greater risk factor for heart disease than high cholesterol, a greater risk factor for pre-term birth than smoking or alcohol and be an early death sentence for diabetics, it is expected that the medical specialists in these fields would refer these patients for risk analysis, for no other reason than to avoid mal-practice suits.

Additionally, further research has shown that treatment of periodontal disease can measurably reduce the risk of these diseases.

• Treating periodontal disease can lower C-Reactive Protein

• Treating periodontal disease can measurably improve vascular function

• Treating periodontal disease in the second trimester of pregnancy and lower the rate of pre-term birth by 80%.

• Treating pregnancy gingivitis patients during pregnancy can lower the rate of Preterm
& LBW babies by 68%

• Periodontal Therapy May Help Diabetic Patients Improve Sugar Control

• Treatment of Periodontal Disease in Diabetics Reduces Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c)

Finally the real odds makers, the insurance companies have confirmed that treating periodontal disease is a good bet:

• Aetna And Columbia study of 145,000 patient records Shows Relationship Between Periodontal Treatment And A Reduction In The Overall Cost Of Care Diabetes, CDV and stroke

• Cigna pays for periodontal treatment for pregnant women, CDV and diabetes patients.