If they ever discover a miracle cure that uses dental plaque, I’ll be a millionaire!  The dental assistant who cleans my teeth often grouses about it, and one day she asked “Do you take a lot of calcium supplements?”  Hmm, calcium and plaque, plaque and heart disease, calcium supplements and heart disease.  Do we have to choose between heart disease and stronger bones?  For some women, excess calcium may actually raise blood calcium levels, increasing calcification, increasing the risk of a heart attack.  In a recent New Zealand study, the women who took 1,000 mg of calcium citrate had 3% more heart attacks than the placebo group.  Calcium from food is better (think dairy and broccoli), but you must weigh the risk – do you have strong risk factors for fragile bones or heart disease?  One more thing to discuss with your doctor.