91ÊÓƵ

Chronic gum inflammation and oral pathogens play a role in cardiovascular health, contributing to systemic inflammation and elevated blood pressure. Dental professionals are uniquely positioned to detect early signs of systemic disease, including elevated blood pressure.

The 91ÊÓƵ’s Healthy Smiles, Healthy Heartsâ„¢ initiative, in collaboration with Delta Dental, is dedicated to bridging the gap between oral and heart health care. Together, we are working to improve health and well-being nationwide by helping patients, dental care teams and primary care teams to better understand and address this connection.

Turn Every Dental Visit into a Complete Health Check!

Every year, approximately
29 million people
have a dental visit but not a medical visit.

For many, the dental chair is the only point of contact with the healthcare system, and that makes dental professionals an essential partners in chronic disease early detection. Incorporating simple medical screenings like blood pressure checks into routine dental care, dental teams can help identify patients at risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, often before symptoms appear. This early detection can lead to timely referrals, better outcomes, and lives saved.

Understand the oral-heart health connection and how to collaborate across care teams.

• Access our interactive eModule to learn how oral inflammation and blood pressure relates to cardiovascular risk.
• Discover best practices for interdisciplinary collaboration between dental and primary care teams.
• Learn when and how to refer patients for medical follow up.

Use our evidence-based tools to screen, educate and refer patients.

• Follow our validated protocol for blood pressure screening in dental settings.
• Educate patients on their readings and what they mean for heart health.
• Refer patients with elevated readings to primary care using our streamlined process.
• Be recognized as a Heart Health Champion with our HSHH Recognition Program.

Coming soon