In July 1998, the American Academy of Periodontology launches an effort to educate the public about new findings which support what dental professionals had long suspected:
Infections in the mouth can play havoc elsewhere in the body".*ARR

We now know that when periodontal bacteria enters the blood stream it can cause infections in all other organs of the body. The literal definition of periodontals is "around the tooth". Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth which is caused by bacteria.