New findings from the American Heart Association highlight two important connections: chronic pain may raise the risk of developing high blood pressure, and dental professionals are uniquely positioned to help identify patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. Together, these insights point to a broader opportunity for early detection across oral healthcare settings.
According to Dr. Don Cohen, Chief Clinical Officer at HealthFirst, routine blood pressure assessment is a critical component of dental care and can directly influence treatment decisions. “Knowing a dental patient’s blood pressure before beginning any dental procedure is crucial. After reviewing our patient’s medical history we are now armed with the knowledge of their current blood pressure as compared to their history-potentially altering our treatment plan for this appointment.”
A New Link Between Chronic Pain and Blood Pressure
A recent AHA analysis found that adults with chronic widespread pain face a significantly higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared with those who have localized or no pain at all. The study also found that chronic pain is linked to higher rates of depression, which contributes to hypertension.
Hypertension occurs when the pressure of blood against the walls of the arteries remains elevated, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications. While inflammation and depression are known risk factors for high blood pressure, prior research had not fully examined the extent to which they help explain the connection between chronic pain and hypertension. These new findings help clarify that connection and underscore the importance of early identification.
Why This Matters in Dental Settings
Each year, 29.5 million Americans visit a dentist but not a medical provider, making dental offices an important opportunity for early cardiovascular screening. In a recent announcement, the AHA unveiled a new initiative, in partnership with Delta Dental of California, to launch a new standard of care for heart health screening in dental settings.
Patients overwhelmingly support this role: most view dental teams as part of their overall health-care team, and more than 80% are open to having their blood pressure checked during a dental visit.
Bringing these findings together creates a simple, actionable opportunity:
- Patients with chronic or widespread pain may face higher blood pressure risk.
- Dental visits may be their only consistent interaction with a health-care provider.
- A quick blood pressure check can identify elevated readings early and prompt a medical referral.
“Since patients are typically scheduled every six months for recall visits, these become excellent opportunities to detect the unknown hypertensive patient and have them enter into appropriate treatment regimens, especially for men, who do not seek medical care as often as women,” said Dr. Cohen.
Actionable Steps for Dental Practices
- Ask about chronic or persistent pain (beyond dental pain).
- Integrate routine blood pressure measurement into dental visits.
- Establish referral pathways for patients with elevated readings or at-risk symptoms.
“Measuring blood pressure can be as simple as using an over-the-counter automated blood pressure monitor that inflates and records readings automatically. Some devices also provide printouts that can be easily added to a patient’s chart. These machines require minimal training to operate and take only a few minutes to use.”
