THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Irish researchers are trying to develop a new way of attacking heart disease -- through the mouth.

"We are trying to understand the mechanisms by which oral bacteria colonies can lead to cardiovascular disease," said Steve Kerrigan of the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, and the principal investigator in a group that will report on the effort Thursday at the Society for General Microbiology meeting in Dublin.

In a recent study published in Diabetes Care, it now appears that gum disease may be a predictor for the onset of diabetes.

The study is the most recent in a string of reports linking gum health to over all health. Last year, researchers at Harvard associated periodontal disease with pancreatic cancer.

By Shannon Koehle
EmpowHer.com Health Reporter

Miquel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, once wrote, “Every tooth in a man’s head is more valuable than a diamond.”

Assuming Cervantes was correct; mothers must protect their diamonds if they plan to keep them, according to a study composed by a New York University professor.

Dr. Stephanie Russell, an assistant professor of epidemiology and health promotion, examined more than 2,000 women between ages 18 and 64 who gave birth at least once and found a correlation between pregnancy and tooth loss.