This document discusses the potential linkages between periodontal disease and systemic diseases like coronary heart disease and stroke. It suggests that periodontal disease may influence these conditions through three main mechanisms: shared risk factors, the periodontium acting as a reservoir for bacteria and inflammatory mediators, and transient bacteremias from periodontal infections potentially causing endothelial dysfunction. The document reviews evidence on specific inflammatory markers and pathogens that may provide biological pathways for this periodontal-systemic connection. It proposes models to explain potential direct and indirect impacts of periodontal infection on atheroma formation and thrombus development that can lead to heart disease and stroke.