So why would the dental hygienist take your blood pressure?

Years back when my dental hygienists started taking blood pressure during each dental hygiene appointment, this was the question they or myself heard multiple times on a daily basis. A simple explanantion exists, high blood pressure is a proven risk factor for cardiovascular disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. Many of our patients see us 3-4 times a year, much more often than they see their physician thus giving our dental team a responsibility to screen the patients blood pressure and inform them that sustained elevated readings can affect their health.

In the past five years that we have been regularly screening blood pressure at our dental hygiene appointments we have been able to refer some of our patients back to their physician and subsequently medications or other modifications were prescribed to help normalize their blood pressure. We decided after trial and error the best time/appointment to take the patient's blood pressure was when they were visiting the dental hygienist for a cleaning/therapy appointment as this neccesitated less nervousness/stress. We take into account 'white coat syndrome' which can sometimes elevate a person's blood pressure due to just viewing the blood pressure cuff or seeing a health professional in general. And we do understand that one blood pressure reading doesn't mean much, it is a series of elevated readings that necessitate seeing a physician (unless the reading is in dangerous levels-then the patient needs to see their physician immediately).

We believe that in order to provide comprehensive treatment for all patients, monitoring of blood pressure and referrals to their health care provider when appropriate is the only way to function. The mouth is not a separate entity and the connection is has to the rest of the body is dynamic and an important one. As well, if we are not addressing symptoms of possible systemic complications then we cannot fully treat the oral condition (s) as well.

Have a great Saturday!
Nathan