At Fiddlehead Dental we take a very active interest in our patients as "whole persons", not just as individual sets of teeth. This means looking after every part of your health that we might have an opportunity to influence. Several years ago we invested in a professional blood pressure machine like the ones that you find in pharmacies. Any time you like, you may come into Fiddlehead Dental and check your blood pressure on this very accurate machine and take away a printout of the findings. This is a service we do for our patients free of charge, because we care about you and your health.
Here are some facts about high blood pressure that you should know:
· 1 out of 3 Americans over 50 have high blood pressure (a third of those do not know it)
· Hypertension or high blood pressure is a consistent reading of 120/80 or higher. Normal blood pressure is approximately 120/80. If you have a reading above 120/80 we will suggest you consult with your physician about your blood pressure.
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· One quarter of the US population has high blood pressure yet show no obvious symptoms. This is why it is called the "silent killer". It is of world-wide epidemic proportions. The ADA recommends that any patient with a reading of 180/110 is the cutoff point for offering urgent treatment without medial consultation.
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Blood Pressure
Classification
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SBP (mm HG)
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DBP (mm Hg)
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Normal
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<120
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and <80
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Regular care;
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Prehypertension
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120-139
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or 80-89
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Advise pt of BP status; recommend lifestyle modifications
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Stage 1 Hypertension
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140-159
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or 92-99
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Regular care; recommend physician consult; stress reduction protocol
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Stage 2 Hypertension
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> 160
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or>100
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Re-check BP in 5 min.s; non-invasive care only; definitive emergency care only if less than 180/110; refer to physician for immediate followup; stress reduction protocol
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Hypertensive Crisis
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220+
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120+
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Re-check BP in 5 min.s; no dental therapy, routine or emergency, until elevated BP is corrected; manage emergency w/ antibiotics and/or analgesics; hospitalization and immediate BP reduction when signs & dx of organ damage are present; otherwise refer to physician for immediate followup #
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· Hypertension alone is the most important risk factor for heart failure. Hypertension is the leading cause of strokes, kidney failure and blindness. Having high blood pressure increases stroke risk four to six times!
· Dentist are a great source to screen for this common and dangerous condition.
Hypertension applies stress on blood vessel walls which decreases the diameter of the blood vessels while keeping the volume of blood flow constant which increases the velocity of blood traveling down the vessels which increases pressure on the vessels walls leading to strokes from blood clots or a hemorrhage.
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ü The risk of developing cardiovascular disease doubles for every increment of 20 mm Hg of systolic blood pressure or 10 mm Hg of diastolic blood pressure
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ü Systolic blood pressure higher than 140 Hg in people older than 50 years of age is more important risk factor than diastolic pressure
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ü People with normal blood pressure at age 55-65 years have an 80-90% risk of developing hypertension by age 80-85.
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ü If your blood pressure is usually 145/95, most life insurance companies double your premium because your life span would likely be shorter than that of someone with normal blood pressure. If your systolic blood pressure is over 200, there is a much higher risk that you will have a stroke, which can lead to impaired mental or physical function, or even cause death
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ü Cases probably should not be started if you have blood pressure values above 200 mm Hg systolic or 100 mm Hg diastolic. Many patients will have an increase in blood pressure of 10% during or immediately after administration of local anesthesia.
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Hypertension has three primary risk factors: tobacco use, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise, all of which are reversible and correctable.
If you have hypertension:
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Your blood pressure will be taken at each visit. The best arm to use the monitor on is on the left arm.
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Stress reduction protocol will be followed which includes:
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shorter appointments
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good night's sleep before the appointment
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avoiding caffeine before the appointment
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eating a regular meal before the appointment
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ample time allowed to get to your appointment
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premed as needed
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checked to make sure daily hypertensive medications were taken
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raising dental chair slowly
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allowed to sit upright in dental chair for several minutes after procedure to avoid hypotension
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Hypertension affects one in four Americans. A new report suggests that eating 3 - 4 servings of dairy each day as part of a healthy diet may help to reduce the risk of nine common diseases and conditions including hypertension and obesity, resulting in healthcare cost savings of as much as $26 billion in the first year. ADA 2/04
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Even if you think you have your blood pressure under control, you may want to revisit the numbers. Come into our office and we will gladly show you where we keep this valuable machine in a private area of the office.
RealAge Benefit: Keeping your blood pressure at 115/76 mm Hg can make your RealAge as much as 12 years younger.
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