Update for our patients and community » LEARN MORE
Did you know the bacteria associated with gum disease can drastically increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and many other serious systemic diseases? Did you know that an acidic environment in the mouth can indicate an unhealthy environment in the body? Did you know that plaque buildup in your mouth can contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries? It’s pretty simple really – if your mouth is unhealthy, your body is likely to be unhealthy as well, and vice versa.
At Granbury Dental Center, our philosophy of care goes much deeper than just cleaning and fixing teeth. We’re proud to provide innovative, comprehensive care for our patients that goes above and beyond the traditional role of a dentist. In partnering with Prevent! Care Clinic, we are able to identify risk factors and make positive changes to help you live a longer, healthier life.
Granbury Dental Center is a proud partner of Prevent! Care Clinic, working directly with nurse practitioners to assess biological risk factors in pursuit of disease prevention.
Progressive medical and dental professionals are joining forces to form a comprehensive approach to healthcare that considers the links between life-saving medical prevention and dental care. For too long dentists have been treating the mouth as an isolated environment, and treating only the physical symptoms of disease, rather than the biology causing the disease. At Granbury Dental Center, we’re proud to be on the forefront of this revolutionary paradigm shift in preventive cardiology and dentistry. Prevent! Care Clinic works directly with us right here at our practice for comprehensive health and dental care under one roof.
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance produced by the liver that increases inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is one of the primary contributors to gum disease and heart diseases. The presence of elevated C-reactive proteins indicates a higher risk for disease.
High blood sugar or blood sugar instability weakens white blood cells and makes it harder for the body to fight infections, and gum disease can raise blood sugar levels, creating a vicious cycle of inflammation and infection that will eventually cause diabetes.
Highly acidic saliva is directly linked to tooth decay. Acidity and a high pH balance in the body indicate an increased risk for serious degenerative diseases including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis.
Periodontal pathogens, or the bacteria that cause gum disease, have also been associated with heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and many other diseases. Gum disease is an infection and should be treated as such on the biological level with antibiotics.
One-third of the population is positively at risk for a gene that contributes to periodontal disease including inflammation and bone loss. Despite diligent oral care habits, these folks are more likely to develop gum disease and associated diseases.
HPV or human papilloma virus has only recently become understood as one of the primary risk factors for oral cancer. HPV infects the epithelial cells of skin and mucosa. HPV is now considered a higher risk than tobacco or alcohol consumption for developing oral cancer.
Do you take more than one prescription medication daily?
Do you have borderline or high cholesterol, high blood sugar or high blood pressure?
Do you have chronic tooth decay or gum disease?
Do you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, strokes, or type 2 diabetes?
Do you have trouble with sleeping or snoring, or have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, your health may be at risk.
At Granbury Dental Center, we provide bacterial screenings for all patients. Bacterial slide screenings allow us to see the presence of bacteria in your mouth, and to distinguish between the harmless bugs and the potentially deadly ones. In many patients, we find active biofilm (“teeth sweaters” containing bad bacteria) that needs to be treated.
If the initial bacterial screening warrants further testing, we will collect plaque samples and send them off to our partners at OraVital for further analysis. Oral DNA testing provides a more in-depth analysis that tells us which pathogens you have and at what level, so we can begin to create a treatment plan to get you healthy.
We perform oral disinfection that includes laser cleaning and non-surgical periodontal therapy. We may prescribe an oral antibiotic or CariFree® products to help balance the pH of your mouth to get bacteria and acid under control for a healthier environment in the mouth and body.
The presence of these harmful bacteria in your mouth indicates they are likely also present in your bloodstream and your internal organs, and your overall health may be at risk. With the help of the amazing women at Prevent! Care Clinic who work here with us in our office, we can begin to take steps to minimize your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and help you lead a longer, healthier life.
Prevent! Care Clinic utilizes evidence-based methods to comprehensively assess risk factors to dramatically reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes while potentially reversing cardiovascular disease. The risk of heart attack and stroke begin to develop decades before you may experience symptoms. You may appear to be fit and feel healthy, but it’s always these individuals who are most shocked when they have a heart attack or stroke.
With the help of Prevent! Care Clinic and Granbury Dental Center, you no longer have to fear these devastating and potentially deadly diseases. Good health is the essence of life, and you deserve to see your children and grandchildren grow up and to live out your best years without major health problems. Granbury Dental Center is proud to partner with Prevent! Care Clinic in helping our patients lead longer, healthier lives.
As the primary nurse practitioner for the Prevent! Care Clinic, Gina Pritchard operates with a sense of constant process improvement to improve the quality of the lives and health of her clients. Gina is impassioned to support others to live their most beneficial lives. Heart attacks and strokes are NOT an inevitable part of life and Gina Pritchard is experienced in helping families and individuals in avoiding and eliminating their devastating effects.
Her vision for others to have good health so they are able to participate in the important aspects of everyday life is what fuels her drive. Gina started her nursing career at Baylor University Medical Center as a Clinical Nurse and then went on to found and run Gina Lou Pritchard ACNP, PLLC where she honed and perfected her skills as a heart attack and stroke prevention expert.
Gina has had the privilege of working side by side with one of the nation’s leading specialists, Dr. Bradley Bale, and was trained and certified first-hand in using the revolutionary BaleDoneen® Method. Gina travels and speaks as an advocate for early detection and prevention of heart disease, educating people everywhere on the importance of heart health.
As practice manager for The Prevent! Care Clinic, Sharlene manages the clinical support team, care coordination, and clinical operations. Sharlene graduated from Florida State University with a Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice and further advanced her professional development through the Disney University.
Her application of Disney’s best practices and passion for heart health creates an innovative and refreshing experience for our patients. Sharlene’s career includes emergency medicine, family practice, internal medicine, endocrinology, integrative and preventive care. She has worked in the roles of certified medical assistant, phlebotomist, emergency medical technician, and practice manager.
EDFROG represents the six principles of the BaleDoneen Method that we implement at Granbury Dental Center and Prevent! Care Clinic. By following these six principles, we are seeing improvement in arterial health!
Educate patients about the root causes of diseases and acute events so they can make small changes that will make big impacts.
Use advanced technology with digital imaging to assess the presence of disease, rather than estimating risk. Reassess to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments.
Evaluate for and treat inflammation in the arteries and address the sources in the body, including gum disease.
Understand that high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes are common but not the only causes of atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries) that should be assessed to achieve our goal.
Don’t settle for standard care. Go above and beyond the call of duty in our mission for health. Provide comprehensive, individualized assessment and patient care.
Newly available and more affordable genetic testing can make the difference between effective and ineffective treatment. Treat each patient as a unique individual with unique genetics and body chemistry.
We are passionate about helping our patients prevent disease so they can live their best lives. We’d love to help you add years to your life and life to your years. Our Initial Risk Assessment program includes:
Initial testing is an integral part of your comprehensive risk assessment.
Approximately two weeks after the Initial Risk Assessment
Approximately 90 days after Initial Risk Assessment
Approximately two weeks after Re-Assessment
If you’re ready to take control of your health and your future, we would love to be your allies for total health and wellness.
If you have any questions about oral systemic health or our partnership with Prevent! Care Clinic, or would like to schedule a visit with your Granbury dentist – Dr. Jeff Buske at Granbury Dental Center – give us a call at (817) 573-3761 or request an appointment online today!
