Hypertension and Dental Health

Blood pressure is the force of the blood when it flows from the heart to the different parts of the body. Blood pressure is the highest when the heart beats and lowest when the heart is at rest. The first one is called systolic and the second is called diastolic blood pressure.

A typical blood pressure reading is measured as a combination of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In a blood pressure reading of say 140/90, the 140 denotes systolic pressure and the 90 denotes diastolic pressure. Incidentally this reading denotes high blood pressure as the normal BP reading is 120/80.

Hypertension is the medical term used to describe high blood pressure. There is no permanent cure for this disease. There are a number of drugs prescribed by doctors to control hypertension.

These drugs may in turn lead to side-effects. Some of the side-effects have an implication on dental health. Dry mouth, dysguesia and gum overgrowth are some of the problems that can be caused because of anti hypertension drugs.

A dry mouth results in insufficient saliva production. Insufficiency of saliva in the mouth results in improper digestion since food cannot be chewed properly.

Dysguesia is a decrease or distortion in the tasting ability of a person. It can occur because of drugs taken for treating hypertension or anxiety. This condition can also occur because of deficiency in zinc.

Calcium channel blockers – a kind of drug for hypertension can cause overgrowth of your gum. It starts immediately around one month from the start of your treatment. Thereafter it becomes difficult to chew food. In severe cases surgery may be required.

In order to prevent dental problems that result from use of hypertension drugs, you require to take some precautionary steps and you should discuss the matter with your dentist.

The dentist will take a measurement of your blood pressure and evaluate the type of drugs that you are taking. After doing so, the dentist will consider the proper line of treatment to prevent any type of damage to your teeth or gums.