Dr. Kami Hoss, author of the best-selling book "If Your Mouth Could Talk" and co-founder/CEO of The Super Dentists Oral health is connected to heart health...and that impacts the whole body. Three ways that oral health can affect systemic health: 1. Oral microbes, or toxins, can get into the blood stream, gaining access to organs. 2. Inflammation can lead to overall inflammatory response. 3. Mouth is the gateway to the body in particularly the GI track. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease is the world’s number one cause of death, killing over 17 million people every year. There is now evidence of two specific links between oral health and heart disease. First, recent studies show that if you have gum disease in a moderate or advanced stage, you're at higher risk for heart disease than someone with healthy gums. And second, your oral health can provide doctors with warning signs for a range of diseases and conditions, including those in the heart. Oral health and heart disease are connected by the spread of bacteria – and other germs – from your mouth to other parts of your body through the bloodstream. When these bacteria reach the heart, they can attach themselves to any damaged area and cause inflammation. According to Mayo Clinic, this can result in illnesses such as endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart. According to the American Heart Association, other cardiovascular conditions such as atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) and stroke have also been linked to inflammation caused by oral bacteria.