Coronary heart disease is the term that describes what happens when your heart's blood supply is blocked or interrupted in the coronary arteries due to plaque formation. This may cause chest pain (angina) or even a heart attack since the blocked arteries (atherosclerosis) can’t supply enough blood to the heart muscle.

Any arteries in the body can be blocked (narrowed and hardened), and depending on where, this may cause different problems over time, such as stroke (brain), heart attack (heart) or thrombus (leg). Inflammation plays an important role in the development of blocked arteries.

Expert opinion suggests that people with gum disease are at higher risk for many of these diseases, and reports show that professional treatment results in reduced inflammation in the blood for patients suffering from atherosclerosis.

Professional treatment of gum disease and good oral hygiene will result in a healthier mouth with less inflammation, which is a benefit to everyone.