There's strong evidence linking gum, disease and heart disease. Oral bacteria can be absorbed into the bloodstream via inflamed gums and travel to other parts of the body.
This may contribute to tiny clots or inflammation in the blood vessels that leads to cardiovascular disease.
Infective endocarditis may result when bacteria enter the bloodstream of a susceptible individual, for example, somebody with a prosthetic heart valve and colonizes the lining of the heart, which can lead to inflammation of the lining of the heart valves. The disease carries a high mortality risk and it's thought it can be caused by oral bacteria. There's evidence that good oral hygiene reduces the risk.