High Blood Pressure and Oral Health
Get your blood pressure checked before your dental appointment!
High blood pressure, also called HBP or hypertension, can affect your ability to receive oral healthcare. Performing dental treatments on patients with hypertension can be detrimental! If your blood pressure is too high, many dentists won’t schedule procedures until you receive a health assessment from your medical doctor.
What is high blood pressure?
The two forces measured for your blood pressure reading are the blood pumping out of your heart and into your arteries (systolic), and the heart resting between beats (diastolic). Normal blood pressure readings for a healthy individuals who are 20 years and older should be below 120 for systolic and below 80 for diastolic. If blood pressure readings are consistently higher than 120/80 then you’re probably suffering from hypertension.
According to Heart.org, the website of the American Heart Association, “Untreated high blood pressure damages and scars your arteries.” High blood pressure increases risks of blood clots, organ damage, heart attacks, and strokes. High blood pressure also results increased plaque build-up and weakening blood vessels.
How does high blood pressure affect my dental health?
In a white paper released by the American Diagnostic Corporation, it states: “…elevations of blood pressure can increase a patient’s risk of experiencing a stroke or myocardial infarctions in the dental chair.” Patients with hypertension can also be in danger from local anesthetics that use vasoconstrictors, such as epinephrine, which increase blood pressure and heart arrhythmia.
High blood pressure medications can also affect your dental wellbeing. Some prescriptions cause dry mouth and may also alter your sense of taste. Meds with calcium blockers can also create gum overgrowth, which can affect a patient’s ability to chew and may require periodontal surgery to correct.
Will my dentist still treat me if I have high blood pressure?
Most dentists will not treat patients who have high blood pressure, especially if your numbers are in the Stage 1 or higher range for hypertension. (View the chart at the American Heart Association’s website.) If you’re being treated for high blood pressure, it’s important for you to discuss your condition and your medications with your dentist before beginning any treatments. Most patients being treated for high blood pressure can still have dental procedures, take anti-anxiety medications (often used for oral conscious sedation), and safely receive local anesthetics.
What Should I Look For When Choosing a Dentist?
No matter your age, your profession, or how busy your schedule might be, finding a good dentist is one of the most important things you can do. It can also be a struggle. So, how can you get started? What should you keep in mind as you look for a dentist for yourself and your family? Here are five things to consider.
Testimonials
Find out beforehand if the doctor you’re considering has any testimonials or before-and-after pictures you can see. Some states—Texas, for example—don’t allow testimonials, but others do and this can be a great way to get to know a dentist and his or her work.
Experience
Knowing where a dentist studied, how long they’ve studied, what associations they’re a member of, and what awards they’ve one can all help you decide on a dentist. Typically, you can find information like this on a doctor’s webpage, under the “About the Office” or the “About Our Team” page. If the practice you’re considering is a new practice, what does this mean to you? Are you comfortable with the dentist’s expertise and training?
Technology
Whether you’re looking for general care or restorative care, finding a practicing with cutting-edge technology can be important. Tools like digital radiography expose patients to 80% less radiation while laser dentistry can make periodontal therapy more comfortable than traditional therapy with a scalpel and stitches. What advanced tools are important to you and will encourage you to seek the care you deserve?
Services
One of the most important questions to ask yourself as you look for a dentist is, what services do you and your family need? Do you already know that you need to have a specific procedure performed? For advanced surgical care, many dentists refer patients to a specialist, but some dentists have sought extra training and can perform these same procedures in their own office.
Comfort
If you have trouble sitting for long periods of time or you struggle with dental anxiety, finding an office that keeps patient comfort in mind can be very important. Some dentists do this through sedation dentistry, while others do so by advertising spa amenities.
During April, Let’s Focus on Oral Cancer Prevention
April is National Cancer Control Month, and you might not be aware of the fact that incidences of oral cancer are on the rise. Few people think about oral cancer, but it kills more people every year than brain cancer, cervical 
cancer, and testicular cancer put together. But the more you learn about oral cancer and its signs and symptoms, the better able you’ll be to get an early diagnosis and more effective treatment should oral cancer happen to you. Oral cancer responds very well to treatment in the earliest stages.
What are the risk factors for oral cancer?
The risk factors for oral cancer include smoking and chewing tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and human papillomavirus (HPV), although some people develop oral cancer despite having none of these risk factors. It is believed that genetics, too, plays a role in the development of cancers, including oral cancer, as well as dietary factors. Because there are so many various contributing factors, everyone should get checked by their dentist for oral cancer at their dental checkups.
What are the symptoms of oral cancer?
The symptoms of oral cancer include:
- A flat, painless, white or red spot or sore.
- A sore that bleed easily or does not heal.
- A color change of the oral tissues.
- A lump, thickening, rough spot, crust, or small, eroded area.
- Pain, tenderness, or numbness anywhere in the mouth or on the lips.
It can be hard to see every spot in your mouth clearly, which is where your dentist comes in. He or she can take a look at any questionable areas and alert you if there’s a potential problem. Waiting until the symptoms become extremely obvious means wasting valuable treatment time that could save your life.
So why not make an appointment with your dentist for an exam during National Cancer Control Month? Set your mind at ease knowing that you’ve gone the extra mile for not only your oral health, but your overall health, too!
Gum Disease and Heart Health
Nearly 80% of American adults suffer from gum disease! Gum disease can devastate your oral health, causing serious dental problems. In fact, the number one reason for adult tooth loss in the United States is untreated gum disease. Worse, though, is the effect that gum disease can have on your heart health.
Research conducted recently found that patients who had suffered heart attacks also suffered from poor oral health, too. And the American Academy of Periodontology notes that people diagnosed with gum disease are twice as likely to have heart disease.
How do you know if you have gum disease? You may have periodontal infection if your gums:
- Bleed during or after brushing your teeth
- Feel tender, swollen, or sore
- Look red or discolored
- Form pockets around your teeth
One of the simplest ways to ensure good gum health is to brush twice, floss once, and use a fluoridated oral rinse every day. Getting regular check-ups at least twice a year gives your dentists the opportunity to check your gums—and keep you on track to periodontal health.
According to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine, patients who were treated for periodontitis showed improvements in endothelial (cells that line blood vessels) function. So, getting your oral health in order can also improve your overall health, too!
Foods and Drinks That Can Help Your Smile
You already know how important brushing and flossing are for the health of your smile. But did you also know that certain foods can benefit your oral health too? Any number of specific foods can be beneficial, but today we’re targeting just a few general foods or drinks that can help you.
Green Tea
As we mentioned in an earlier post, green tea has been used medicinally for ages and is consumed by millions of people around the world every day. It has a higher number of antioxidants than black tea, which helps explain its many benefits for patients. Among the oral health benefits to look forward to, green tea actually kills cancer-causing free radicals and can reduce periodontal inflammation.
But that’s not all. Green tea is also known to aid in the reduction of dental plaque and can interfere with the production of hydrogen sulfide, which causes bad breath.
Dairy Products
Whether you’re talking about a slice of cheese, a cup of yogurt, or a glass of milk, dairy products can influence your smile for the better. For one thing, their low acidity protects teeth from decay and promotes a healthier pH. Dairy products are also high in calcium and phosphate, which help fortify teeth and bones alike. (You can view our earlier post on dairy here.)
Fruits and Vegetable
You’re probably all too familiar with the phrase “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, there’s some truth to it. The chewing action involved in eating raw fruit massages your gums and helps keep plaque from forming on teeth. What’s more, many fruits contain vitamin C, which is not only good for your overall health, its’ also good for supporting gum health. Likewise, the act of eating raw vegetables, which contain a host of important nutrients (including vitamin A), helps keep teeth clean and strong, in addition to supporting overall health.
Water
If someone asked you to think about foods or drinks that are good for your smile, you might not have considered that water might be one of the best. But in addition to hydrating the body, water can help you wash away food trapped between your teeth and give the body extra protection from the development of bacteria and plaque, as it aids the natural neutralizing effects of saliva.
Want to know more about how certain foods can help your smile? Call your local dentist to schedule a visit, or you can also check out these two articles (from WebMD and Dental.net) on diet and oral health.
