From this article we learn that identifying specific periodontal pocket bacteria with the presence of CAD is very difficult and may be hard to accomplish. Also, this study suggests that we don’t really know precisely which periodontal pocket bacteria to target for study, thus critical pathogens may be missed. Perhaps this study is suggesting that we not to try to find specific periodontal pathogens and the presence of CAD, but rather to look at the broader clinical picture and treat the patient accordingly.

One of the findings reported centered around the relationship between smokers and nonsmokers in this study. Smoking is widely considered a risk factor for both CAD and periodontal disease, and can be a possible confounder when studying the association between these two diseases. Ultimately, the authors of the study concluded that subjects with CAD had poorer periodontal status than subjects without CAD, independent of smoking exposure. It is noteworthy, however, that the study population was limited to just men and only ninety men were examined which, by some accounts, limits the power in what can be definitively concluded. Needless to say, this area requires further study. Clearly, confirmation that periodontal disease by itself may be a risk factor for heart disease would have significant clinical implications in the practice of dentistry.