Oral Systemic Link

At Lakeside Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery in Russellville, AR, we care about your well-being and overall health. We feel strongly that oral health is directly related to full-body health, and we want to help you maintain your health for years to come.

Inflammation in the body is one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes, and bacteria in the mouth is one of the main sources of this systemic inflammation. A study in 2013 found that as many as 70% of cardiac patients had active oral bacteria in the blood and that this bacteria was directly related to their heart attack. The study indicated that oral bacteria could cause as many as 50% of all heart attacks. Another more recent study established that certain types of oral bacteria can cause the formation of cholesterol buildup in the arteries.

Because oral health is crucial to complete health, we take extra care to identify and treat signs of inflammation in the body before they can cause issues. We offer oral DNA testing, which is a simple saliva assessment, to identify if your mouth is harboring any dangerous bacteria. We also utilize Cone Beam CT imaging to look for small infections in the teeth caused by the type of bacteria that could potentially put you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. These tiny but very destructive infections would otherwise go undetected during a typical dental exam with routine dental X-rays.

Dr. Bale at Lakeside Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery has undergone extensive training in The BaleDoneen Method^® for heart attack and stroke prevention to provide you with the very best evaluation and preventative treatment available. The moment we detect evidence of these potentially deadly germs in your body, we can offer multiple treatment options for eradicating the bacteria and helping you avoid a heart attack or stroke.