Raised Blood Pressure is Not Just Because of the Dentist!

With barely any signs or symptoms, many people are unaware of what this seemingly silent killer can do. The biggest risk factor, now above cigarette smoking, for premature death from heart disease and kidney disease is elevated blood pressure. This can easily be picked up by your dentist who can refer you for further tests and check with your doctor if necessary. In the run up to the festive season, over-indulgence of high salt foods, alcohol and fats and the stresses and strains the festive season brings, have a think about the last time you had your blood pressure measured. Figures for the UK in 2020-21 showed hypertension as the most prevalent condition, affecting 13.9% of patients in England attending their GP practice. NHS Buckinghamshire showed figures similar to the national average at 14% prevalence, with the two most local GP practices in Great Missenden also ranking hypertension as the most prevalent condition.

At Geans Clinic, Principal Dentist, Dr Sabrina Parmar, is offering her patients a quick blood pressure measurement before their appointment. This is part of her research project for her master’s degree at UCL where the links between elevated blood pressure and periodontal disease is being investigated. Evidence is mounting for the links between oral health and systemic disease and the latest evidence shows that along with diabetes and health disease, elevated blood pressure has a big impact on the health of your gums.

With mounting pressure on our GPs, and dental surgeries being open since the end of lockdown in June 2020, regular and new patients of Geans Clinic have been visiting routinely for their dental checks and dental treatment.

Dr Parmar states; “By checking our patient’s blood pressure not only can we see if it is safe to proceed with certain treatments, we can also detect elevated blood pressure, or poorly controlled hypertension which may help your doctor give you the treatment and advice you need before serious health problems can take hold.”

As part of her research project, Dr Parmar identified at least 2 cases of undiagnosed hypertension, and through liaison with the patient’s GP, these patients went on to receive appropriate medical investigations and subsequently treated for hypertension.