Study: Periodontal Disease Could Lead To Erectile Dysfunction.

Men’s Health (4/21, Austin) reports that preliminary research conducted in Taiwan found that “men with erectile dysfunction (ED) were 79 percent more likely to have been diagnosed with chronic periodontal disease (CPD)” than males without ED. Men’s Health urology advisor Larry Lipshultz, MD, explained that CPD leads to chronic inflammation that can damage the lining of blood vessels and “result in impaired blood flow.” Sally J. Cram, DDS, a consumer advisor for the American Dental Association, said, “Most people who have [periodontal] disease don’t feel pain until it is in the advanced stages, so be sure to see your dentist if you experience red swollen gums, bleeding gums when brushing, bad breath, loose teeth, and receding gums.” If the disease is caught before it becomes advanced, treatment “can be as simple as a few deep cleanings from your dentist. If it’s discovered later on, you might require gum surgery to reduce the pockets and restore some of the bone loss,” according to Cram.