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08:47
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Should we screen for hypertension in general dental practice?
C Sproat1, S Beheshti, A N Harwood
1Oral Surgery Department, Floor 23, Tower Wing (Guy's Tower), Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT.
British Dental Journal
|September 26, 2009
Summary
Dental practices can help detect undiagnosed hypertension, a major cause of death. A pilot study found 39% of patients had high blood pressure, with many unaware, highlighting the benefit of dental screening for hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Cardiology
- General Practice
Background:
- Hypertension is a leading global cause of premature death and morbidity.
- An estimated 40% of the UK population has hypertension, but only one-third are diagnosed.
- Dental practices serve a large, regular patient population, offering a unique screening opportunity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To pilot hypertension screening in a general dental practice.
- To identify undiagnosed hypertension and associated risk factors.
- To assess the potential of dental settings for public health screening.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study screened 114 consecutive patients in a city general dental practice.
- Blood pressure measurements were taken for all participants.
- Screening identified high blood pressure readings and previously diagnosed hypertension.
Main Results:
- 39% (44) of screened patients had elevated blood pressure readings.
- Only 18% (8) of those with high readings were previously diagnosed with hypertension.
- 16% (7) had systolic readings over 160 mmHg, and 63% of treated patients remained hypertensive.
Conclusions:
- General dental practices may be beneficial for widespread hypertension screening.
- Screening in dental settings could improve early detection and management of hypertension.
- This approach could significantly benefit public health by identifying at-risk individuals.
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