IStock Photo 9034086 © Andy Medina

Parents often warn: “Brush your teeth or you’ll get a cavity; floss or you’ll lose a tooth.”

But here’s one thing your mother didn’t tell you: Clean those gums well, or you could end up with heart disease.

For years, studies have been conducted looking for links between gum disease and heart disease, but results varied, mainly because different methods were used. A recent meta-analysis, which reviewed 143 prior studies but only seven in depth, concluded that periodontal disease is a risk factor for heart disease “that is independent of traditional…risk factors, including socioeconomic status.” And now there’s a consensus from cardiologists and periodontists. However, they say more research is needed because a definitive study has not yet been done.

The call for the new study was made in July in a consensus paper co-authored by these two groups. The paper, which looked at the recent meta-analysis and other studies, encourages both doctors and dentists who notice either health problem to make patients aware of the connection.

Chances are they’ll be sharing this information with many patients, because the odds an adult 20-64 has periodontal disease are 1 in 11.74; for adults 65 and older, it’s 1 in 9.45. And the odds a person 20 or older has cardiovascular disease are 1 in 2.7.

“There are definitely associations between people who have more periodontal disease and people who have more heart disease. The question is why,” said Dr. James Beck, an associate dean at the University of North Carolina’s School of Dentistry and a co-author of the consensus report.

One explanation is that inflammation caused by gum disease helps plaque build up, which could swell the arteries and cause a heart attack. This explanation is especially trendy, Beck said, as evidence mounts that heart disease is also related to inflammation. But perhaps the reasons are simpler. It could be that patients with both gum and heart disease are smokers, or that they simply don’t take good care of their bodies in general.

The debate isn’t a new one. Beck estimated that a possible link between gum and heart disease was first established in 1920. But in the last decade the claim spurred controversy, pushing Beck, his co-authors, and experts in other journals to publish their findings and call for a new study.

Beck and the other co-authors are hoping their paper will also drive patients to take better care of their mouths, and encourage cooperation between dentists and cardiologists. But they may have their work cut out for them: the odds an adult flosses his or her teeth each day are just 1 in 1.98(51%), and the odds an adult 20-64 thinks his or her teeth and mouth are in excellent or very good condition are 1 in 3.91.