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10 Reasons Why We Must Take Dental Patients' Blood Pressure

10 Reasons Why We Must Take Dental Patients' Blood Pressure
by Linda Lawson, RDH, BS

It is a typical scene in almost every dental hygiene clinic. Students rush to greet and seat their patients. Medical histories are reviewed, and vital signs are taken and recorded. Dental hygiene students frantically wave to signal the supervising dentist that their patients are ready to be cleared so that preventive and therapeutic services can begin.

We were all taught the importance of assessing blood pressure before we even dared put a scaler in our patients' mouths. Why is it that there have been countless times over the course of my career that new patients were shocked when I asked them to extend their arms so I could take their blood pressure? Surprised looks were then followed with questions such as "Why is this necessary?" or "I've been going to the dentist every six months since I was a child and have never had my blood pressure taken in a dental office."

Blood pressure measures the force on the arterial walls as the heart pumps blood throughout the body. Normal blood pressure is essential for life. Oxygen or nutrients could not be delivered through the vessels and into the tissues and organs without the pressure to drive the blood through the circulatory system. In addition, blood pressure aids in distributing white blood cells throughout the body so they can protect the body against illness and disease.

A person's blood pressure rises when the heart beats and drops as the heart relaxes between beats. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic and less than 80 diastolic. It is worth noting that blood pressure readings will vary throughout the day, especially during periods of exercise, high stress, postural changes, or sleep. According to the American Heart Association, roughly one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure.1 In most instances, the lower your blood pressure reading is, the better off you are.

Although we are well aware that normal blood pressure is important to a person's health, there are far too many dental professionals who have fallen out of practice in taking their patients' vitals before beginning treatment. As licensed health-care professionals, it is the standard of care for dental hygienists to assess and record blood pressure on all of their patients. The reading must then be discussed with the patient as a means of helping him take charge of his overall health. Listed below are 10 reasons why dental hygienists must take blood pressure on each patient at every visit.

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