Nobody likes bad breath, but it turns out that not brushing your teeth can cost you more than your date – a recent study found that gum disease may actually be linked with erectile dysfunction. The study took place in Taiwan over the course of five years, and researchers found that men with erectile dysfunction had a higher incidence of severe gum disease.

Although it is not quite understood what exactly the relationship is between gum disease and erectile dysfunction, researchers say that even after accounting for things like income and quality of life, the presence of gum disease was still much higher in men who had erectile dysfunction. There were two specific age brackets that seemed to be most affected by this – men under 30 and men over 70.

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Researchers are still trying to piece together why this link exists. One theory is that gum disease causes inflammation, which in turn can damage blood vessels that would travel to the penis. In the meantime, gum disease is very easily prevented by simply brushing and flossing regularly, with the occasional checkup. If you are interested in more information about erectile dysfunction, speak with an ED doctor in Las Vegas like Dr. Michael S. Kaplan.