What does blood pressure have to do with oral health care? First, we occasionally find patients with undiagnosed hypertension (high blood pressure) when they come in for their dental treatment. Hypertension can also be caused by sleep apnea, a condition where a person stops breathing at night.
Another side-effect of high blood pressure is dry mouth that can be a result from the medications used to treat high blood pression. Dry mouth (or xerostomia) is being seen more regularly due to the number of medications that patients are taking. Xerostomia can cause many problems, including an increased risk for dental caries, loss of taste sensation, intolerance for dental prosthesis, and other problems.
If you suspect your high blood pressure may be due to sleep apnea, please contact your physician. If you would like to find ways to deal with xerostomia, please talk to your dentist.
