Dental Blood Pressure Guidelines. Regardless of the procedure, a dentist will not perform a procedure or dental work on an individual with systolic or diastolic blood pressure higher than 180 or 109. This is because the risks associated with any dental procedure are far higher when individuals have high blood pressure.
If your blood pressure becomes elevated during surgery you will be given intravenous medication to reduce it. If you take medication for high blood pressure, check with your doctor prior to taking your medication the morning of surgery. Please remember to take any medication the day of surgery with a sip of water only.
If you take routine oral medications such as blood pressure or heart medications, you may take this medication prior to your surgery with just a small sip of water.
Most recommendations advise caution in using local anesthetics with epinephrine in patients with hypertension.
Thickening of the Gums
This can lead to gingivitis that can lead to the destruction of supporting tooth structure, causing teeth to loosen and, possibly, fall out. To clarify, blood pressure medications may cause changes in size and shape of gums, but the real culprit is plaque.
The new guidelines do not change the level of what is unsafe for dental office procedures. Uncontrolled hypertension is still 180/110 or greater, which is the level that is considered unsafe for dental procedures.
Your dentist can learn a lot by taking your blood pressure during your cleaning and checkup. It allows them to create a baseline to monitor it for any issues. Hypertension can indicate your anxiety levels are on the rise, so your dentist can adjust their treatment plan to meet your comfort needs.
If you're only getting a cleaning or having a cavity filled, you might wonder why your dentist is checking your blood pressure first. Actually, this check is now a routine procedure and standard of care for many dentists.
As licensed health-care professionals, it is the standard of care for dental hygienists to assess and record blood pressure on all of their patients. The reading must then be discussed with the patient as a means of helping him take charge of his overall health.
This said, high blood pressure is usually not a reason to postpone surgery unless a person is undergoing an elective major surgery and blood pressure is poorly controlled. This means the systolic blood pressure is 180 mmHg or higher or the diastolic blood pressure is 110 mmHg or higher.
No Eating Before the Surgery
Generally speaking, you should avoid eating anything for 12 hours prior to the surgery. This can help prevent nausea during and after the procedure. If you are having a local anesthetic, you may not need to fast as long so be sure to inquire before the treatment.
Avoid Sucking of any type: SMOKING, SIPPING, EATING HARD VEGETABLES are to be avoided after tooth extraction. Try taking soft and liquid food options such as soups, mashed potatoes, yogurts, milkshakes, smoothies etc. after tooth extraction. Avoid hot drinks, spicy foods, sodas, etc.
If advised by your doctor, you should stop taking these medications at least 5 days before your surgery: Aspirin (including Baby Aspirin), Motrin, Advil, Aleve or Ibuprofen, Anti-inflammatory or arthritis medications, St. John's Wart, all herbal supplements, and Vitamin E.
It has been recommended to cancel elective surgery if the systolic blood pressure is 180 mmHg or higher or if the diastolic blood pressure is 110 mmHg or higher (8,10).
Unless a patient's hypertension is very difficult to control, it may be best to withhold ARBs and ACE inhibitors within 12-24 hours of a procedure under anesthesia.
By refusing, you are consequently putting your own health at risk and your dentist will most likely refuse to proceed. Taking your oral health seriously is important to your overall health and well-being. Taking the time to check these key health measures is an incredibly important step in your dental treatment.
A person with mild dental anxiety may commit to consistent dental visits but exhibit signs of stress during the visit, such as high blood pressure, sweating, irritability, etc . . .
Anxiety doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure (hypertension). But episodes of anxiety can cause dramatic, temporary spikes in blood pressure.
For individuals with and without periodontitis (the most severe form of gum disease), those who brushed their teeth frequently had a decreased prevalence of hypertension. Overall, study participants with poor oral hygiene habits were more likely to have higher hypertension frequency.
Antihistamines – can cause dry mouth and an increased risk of gum problems. Antihypertensives (taken to reduce blood pressure) – can lead to an increased risk of gum swelling and overgrowth. Aspirin – chewing aspirin can directly damage the tooth enamel, as aspirin is acidic. Always take aspirin strictly as directed.
Get at least eight hours of sleep
Know that a lack of sleep will make your body feel tired and tensed. To help soothe your nerves during treatment, you should make sure that you get at least eight hours of sleep the night before your dentist appointment.
I Have Heart Disease, Can I Do An Extraction? While this remains one of the most common questions raised by both the patient and the attending dentist, the answer is yes. Tooth extraction may be done for patients with heart disease, but a lot of factors should be considered before doing the surgery.
To reduce pain and aid your recovery, it can be helpful to: use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (always read and follow the manufacturer's dosage instructions) – there's some evidence to suggest that ibuprofen is the best painkiller to take after having wisdom teeth removed.
How long does a tooth extraction take? This procedure is quicker than you'd think. The entire process of pulling a tooth—from administering the anesthetic to applying stitches if needed—typically takes anywhere between 20-40 minutes. That said, the procedure will take longer if you require more than one tooth pulled.