What if I told you that every dentist secretly wishes they were a medical doctor. Deep down inside, we really want to wear a white lab coat, hang a stethoscope around our neck, and carry around a clipboard stacked with blank sheets of paper. The real reason we check your blood pressure is because that’s what we envisioned ourselves doing as children. We all wanted to grow up to be medical doctors, healing the sick, treating the wounded, and diagnosing hypertension with a cheap digital blood pressure cuff.
Instead, we find ourselves pulling teeth, filling cavities, and cementing crowns. What a let down. To think, I could have been explaining dietary changes to patients who don’t care, or prescribing calcium channel blockers to patients who won’t listen, all while journaling my findings to medical insurance companies who act like disgruntled critics at the debut performance of Pamela Anderson, The Musical. Yes readers, this is my confession. I only check your blood pressure to see if I too can cause you to suffer the effects of white coat syndrome. After all, who can truly call themselves “doctor” unless they raise your blood pressure even a little bit?
All joking aside, we check your blood pressure because we really do care. Well, those of us who care check your blood pressure! The fact is, many people see their dentist more often than they see their doctor. Many cases of hypertension may first be detected by your dentist. Also, we prescribe medications, and we use anesthetics, all of these things can have an effect on your heart and blood pressure. It is important that your dentist checks your blood pressure before performing any kind of treatment.
Why Is My Blood Pressure Only High At The Dentist?
A common complaint I hear from many patients is that their blood pressure is normal at home, but high when they at in the dental chair. White Coat Syndrome is real. That said, blood pressure can also undergo broad fluctuations throughout the day. Your morning blood pressure may not be same after you finish that first cup of Joe. It definitely won’t be the same after your third cup of Joe that morning either!
To get a more accurate idea of your blood pressure, you should spend time tracking it over several weeks. You should also check your blood pressure at various intervals throughout the day. You may find that your blood pressure is lowest when you first wake up, and then climbs through mid-afternoon, only to settle down again in the evening. Obviously, if your dental appointments are in the afternoon, then your blood pressure will probably be higher. Don’t assume that because you have low blood pressure in the morning, that means it will be that way all day. There may be extended periods of time later in the day where your blood pressure is too high. If your blood pressure spikes above 120/80 mmHg for prolonged periods, then you are at increased risk of stroke or heart attack.
What Happens if my Blood Pressure is Too High?
Every dentist has a different comfort zone for what blood pressure they are comfortable treating. In cases of dental emergencies, most of us are willing to work on patients with very high blood pressure, because we know the pain and distress can elevated a patient’s blood pressure. That said, every dentist has their limit. The American Dental Association (ADA) considers dental treatments unsafe for patients with blood pressure over 180/110 mmHg. In fact, current ADA guidelines consider this a hypertensive crisis and advise dentists to send the patient to the ER immediately, or to call 911 on behalf of the patient.
How Do I Lower My Blood Pressure?
Us dentists don’t treat high blood pressure. But, we can spot it. And when we do, we send you to your physician. Treatment recommendations are ultimately up to them. You may need any combination of lifestyle changes, medications, or even surgery. If your dentist recommends that you see your doctor, don’t delay. High blood pressure is a factor in the deaths of more than 500,000 Americans annually.