Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts
Blood-pressure screening built into routine dental visits to catch cardiovascular risk earlier.
The American Heart Association’s Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ initiative, in collaboration with Delta Dental, aims to improve health and well-being by helping dental care teams, primary care teams and patients to better understand and address the connection between oral and cardiovascular health.
Why it matters?
Each year, approximately 29 million people are seen for a dental visit but not a medical visit. By incorporating blood pressure screenings into routine dental care visits, dental teams can help identify patients at risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, often before symptoms appear. This proactive approach can help drive earlier prevention and detection of cardiovascular disease.
What We Do
- Build Knowledge with Professional Education
- Learn more about the connection between oral health and cardiovascular health.
- Participate in educational activities to support collaboration across oral and primary health care.
- Engage with the latest science on blood pressure measurement and delve into how to guide your patients to appropriate definitive care.
2. Build Your Confidence in Addressing the Oral–Cardiovascular Health Connection
- Follow the American Heart Association’s recommended process for blood pressure screening in dental settings.
- Educate patients on their readings and what they mean for heart health.
- Participate in recommended patient screening and elevated blood pressure referral processes and get recognized by the American Heart Association.
3. Engage Patients with Educational Materials
- Share resources that explain the oral-cardiovascular health connection.
- Provide Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts materials in your offices to encourage patient education.
- Help patients to take charge of their overall health.
Current Status
Data for the Guide downloads, registration, and attestation for recognition program, as well as evaluation of participation in resources for the Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts Initiative are being evaluated and will be available at the time of the event.
Key outcomes and evidence behind it
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423 (ASCVD statement regarding increased need for risk identification)
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYP.0000000000000249 (revised AHA hypertension guidelines for adults)
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001390 (Inflammation connection between gums and cardiovascular system)
Please add a website and, if available, any selected key references.
