WASHINGTON: Brushing and flossing your teeth everyday might just prove to be a good way to avoid heart diseases, for a new study has cited that periodontal patients whose bodies show evidence of a reaction to the bacteria associated with periodontitis may be more prone to develop cardiovascular disease.

"The findings of this new analysis of previously published studies suggest that the long-term effect of chronic periodontitis, such as extended bacterial exposure, may be what ultimately leads to cardiovascular disease," said Kenneth Kornman, editor of Journal of Periodontology. The study was carried out at Howard University, who pointed out 11 previous studies that examined clinically-diagnosed periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease.

Then, the participants' level of systemic bacterial exposure was analyzed by the researchers who specifically hunted for the presence of the bacteria associated with periodontal disease, and also measured various biological indicators of bacterial exposure.

It was discovered that people with periodontal disease whose biomarkers showed increased bacterial exposure were at a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease or atherogenesis -plaque formation in the arteries.