You may be wondering why a dentist took your blood pressure at a routine cleaning or before a dental procedure. Many dentists, especially oral surgeons, have begun to take their patients’ blood pressure as a best practice in recent years.
Known as the ‘silent killer,’ hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a cause of thousands of deaths per year. Hypertension affects about 30% of Americans and often goes unnoticed because it is asymptomatic in most cases.
For many individuals, maintaining routine cleanings at the dentist is more common than visiting their physician for annual physicals and wellness testing. Adding this to a dental visit allows dentists and patients to have a baseline of their blood pressure.
Dental anxiety and fear of the dentist
Many people have a fear of the dentist and dental anxiety. It can be nerve-wracking to have someone in your personal space and many people have a fear of the unknown. If dentists are taking blood pressure when you sit in their chair, they can establish a baseline of your health, or point out any prehypertensive or hypertensive numbers to alert you to see your physician.
Anxiety and fear can raise your blood pressure, so making sure that your blood pressure is normal and healthy, allows the dentist to be aware of any risks associated with treatment.
Discomfort can affect bodily response
Like dental anxiety and fear of the dentist, discomfort causes your blood pressure to rise, which alerts your body that something is wrong. While this is a natural response, it may provoke other medical emergencies in individuals with high blood pressure if they become too uncomfortable or anxious. Establishing a baseline as soon as a patient sits in a chair creates a safeguard for their health.
Taking your oral health seriously is important to your overall health and well-being. Contact our office at Capozzi Dental for any questions or to schedule an appointment.
