Poor oral health can interfere with blood pressure control in people diagnosed with hypertension. Periodontal disease, a condition characterized by gum infection, inflammation of the gums and dental damage, appears to worsen blood pressure and interferes with the treatment of hypertension. Poor oral hygiene can cause high blood pressure because of bacteria that affect the bloodstream. Bacteria that enter the gums may eventually enter the bloodstream.
Bacteria that appear in the blood near the gums can move to the rest of the body within a few seconds after they enter. In a review of 81 studies involving more than 250,000 people, scientists from the United Kingdom found that people with moderate to severe gum disease (periodontitis) had a 22% higher risk of high blood pressure and people with severe gum disease had a 49% higher risk. But it's not certain if periodontitis treatment is actually the cause of a drop in blood pressure, D'Aiuto said, since the study didn't demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship. Some people may have a genetic susceptibility that could also play a role, along with other risk factors, such as smoking and obesity, they added.
In addition to giving advice on good hygiene and dental treatment, dentists should advise patients to monitor their blood pressure with their primary care physician, he said. More than 50 studies have shown that periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and an association between tooth loss and stroke, cardiovascular death and death from any cause, he said. One approach to obtaining a medical history is to evaluate vital signs, such as heart rate (pulse) and blood pressure, at every visit to the dentist. 22 Dental patients may experience acute high blood pressure related to a physiological response to pain or anxiety, 16 This is one of the reasons to collect Information about the current health status and medications for all dental patients, including those with hypertension, can be valuable, 16 When interviewed for a medication history, people may not know which of their medications are for hypertension; in addition, patients whose hypertension is well controlled they may not consider themselves to have high blood pressure, when asked, 16.Here are some more reasons your dentist might ask you about your blood pressure and if you're taking blood pressure medications.
The more information we get about your health, the better we can treat you. Dental anxiety is a condition that could cause your blood pressure to rise when you visit our dental office in Bloomsburg. In addition, some patients may be diagnosed with high blood pressure but are not taking medication for their condition. If your blood pressure rises too high during a procedure, it could cause complications, such as a stroke.
Because your family's dentists at Lewisburg at Hamilton Dental Care consider patient care one of their top priorities, we must be prepared in the event of a situation related to your blood pressure or other medical conditions. When you visit the dentist, you are asked to complete a medical history form, which asks several questions about your overall health condition.
