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Introduction:The investigations suggested that severe periodontal disease is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Bacteremia due to periodontopathic bacteria may be an etiologic factor in atherosclerosis caused to cardiovascular disease. This study examined the association between atherosclerosis and periodontitis by detecting periodontopathic-associated bacterial DNA in atherosclerotic plaques.Methods: 19patients scheduled to undergo carotid or coronary vessel surgery were enrolled in the study. Clinical measurements of periodontal indices were performed for each patient. Subgingival plaque samples were collected at least one week before the surgery. Atherosclerotic arterial plaque wall samples were harvested and examined for the presence of DNA corresponding to eleven different periodontopathic bacteria. Results:The periodontopathic bacterial loads in atherosclerotic plaque samples was higher in the 10 periodontitis patients compared to the 9 healthy controls and the presence of periodontopathic bacteria in subgingival and atherosclerotic plaque samples positively correlated with periodontitis (p<0.05). The pathogens most frequently found in periodontitis were also found in atherosclerotic plaques especially P. gingivalis and T. forsythia in 8 and 7 samples respectively. The presence of bacteria in atherosclerotic plaques correlated with both periodontal disease severity and positive subgingival bacterial loads. Conclusion:The presence of periodontal pathogens in atherosclerotic plaques of periodontitis patients established a link between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. This bacterial presence in atherosclerotic plaques was only related to both severity of periodontal disease and positive subgingival bacterial loading together.