The correlation between poor gum health and heart attacks has been widely noted and reported on by Doctors, Specialists and Dentists for nearly 100 years. Until 2005 it was never proven whether Cardiovascular Disease caused Periodontal Disease or Periodontal Disease caused Cardiovascular Disease. In a 2005 paper by Professor Moise Desvarieux M.D. and his team, published in the February 8 edition of the American Heart Association’s publication Circulation, convincingly proved the correlation of plaque build ups in arteries (atherosclerosis) and four specific bacteria associated with Periodontal Disease. The four specific bacteria were, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola. The clinical trial had 657 people who had no history of stroke or myocardial infarction. They measured the bacterial levels of over 200 different bacteria in the mouth of all 657 people. They also used ultrasound to measure the thickness of plaque in the subjects’ carotid arteries. After adjusting their data for risk factors that might skew their data, such as smoking and diabetes, the team found the higher the levels of four periodontal disease causing bacteria, the more likely people were to have thicker plaque build ups in their carotid arteries. "Chronic infection puts a stress on our body's response system, and the way the body responds to that infection is by sending different elements through the bloodstream," explained Dr. Ronald Inge, associate executive director of the Division of Dental Practice at the American Dental Association. He explained that steady, high levels of these inflammatory compounds spur a gradual thickening of artery walls throughout the body. "Remember, gum disease is not like a bout of the flu, which is of relatively short duration," Inge said. "Periodontal disease is a long-term infection, and if it's not treated -- if that bacteria isn't eliminated or at least reduced -- it can continue to cause this slow reaction in the body that builds up over time."