Along with brushing twice and flossing once per day, limiting your sugar intake, and consuming dentist-approved foods, scheduling biannual dental visits is key to maintaining a healthy, heppy smile. During these visits, your teeth are cleaned and your dentist does a thorough examination of your mouth. But you’re probably asking yourself, “Why does my dentist take my blood pressure?” Read on to learn how this extra step is beneficial to patients.
Reason #1: Understanding Your Anxiety
Dental fear is a condition characterized by extreme anxiety revolving around visiting the dentist that is experienced by 75% of American adults. Elevated blood pressure may be a sign that a patient is dealing with a more advanced form of dental fear. Obtaining this information allows dentists to intervene by offering dental sedation to ease the patient’s nerves and help them feel more comfortable and relaxed throughout treatment.
Reason #2: Frequent Health Screenings
Since signs of many overall health issues can be detected in the oral cavity, dentists are often the first medical professionals to notice when something is wrong. Diabetes, for example, thickens blood vessels. This often results in elevated blood pressure, which keeps nutrients from flowing properly and prevents waste from exiting the body. As a result, patients with this condition may also have weakened gums and bones, which makes them more likely to develop gum disease. By taking patients’ blood pressure, dentists may be able to identify this condition so people can receive the care they need.
Reason #3: Reactions to Local Anesthetic
If you’re preparing to have your teeth worked on, your dentist will likely give you a local anesthetic to numb the area. This will prevent you from experiencing any pain or discomfort during the procedure. Epinephrine is a medication that’s often found in local anesthetics and helps it last longer. Unfortunately, epinephrine can also cause your blood pressure to go up. Your dentist may take your blood pressure so that they can determine the right dosages of this medicine as well as other ingredients to help keep you safe throughout treatment.
As you can see, there are several answers to the question “Why does my dentist take my blood pressure?” By doing this, they can ensure your safety and help you identify issues so both your oral and overall health remain in tiptop shape!
About the Practice
If you’ve been on the lookout for an exceptional dental health team to help you keep your smile looking its best, look no further than Polished General Dentistry. Led by Dr. Allen Kim and Dr. Megan Shelton, they offer the residents of Carlsbad and the surrounding communities the care they need from their comfortable, inviting office. Do you want to make an appointment with Polished General Dentistry or are you interested in learning more about their service offerings? If so, visit their website or call their office at (760) 434-9800 to get started.
