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Losing your teeth could signal a higher risk of suffering heart disease and diabetes, warn researchers. A new study links fewer teeth and bleeding gums with a range of cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Experts say getting gum disease treated with a dental check-up every year could cut the risk of developing heart disease. Previously, researchers found poor dental hygiene and bleeding gums could allow up to 700 different types of bacteria to get into the bloodstream, which increases the risk of a heart attack regardless of how fit and healthy the person is. Gum disease causes bad breath, bleeding gums and, if untreated, cavities, receding gums and tooth loss after bacteria or plaque settles between teeth and under the gumline. It has been linked to chronic health problems including heart disease, thought to be caused by inflammation into the bloodstream. In the first study of its type, Swedish researchers looked at patients with chronic coronary heart disease taking part in a drugs trial and examined their dental health. At the start of the study, 15,828 study participants from 39 countries reported their remaining number of teeth, classified as: none, 1-14, 15-19, 20-25 or 26-32, and frequency of gum bleeds: never/rarely, sometimes, often or always. Around 40 per cent of patients had fewer than 15 teeth and 16 per cent had no teeth, while one in four reported gum bleeds.