Opportunistic health screening for cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors in primary care dental practices: experiences from a service evaluation and a call to action.

ABSTRACT: Introduction Substantial evidence has established associations between oral health and chronic diseases, mediated by common risk factors and inflammatory processes. Dental professionals are aptly positioned to screen for cardiovascular disease and diabetes high-risk indicators. This article presents a service evaluation of two dental practices delivering health screening in dental practice, and a call to action for the wider profession.Methods Following training, two general dental practices implemented a suite of health screens, including blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio. A service evaluation was undertaken to review and improve service provision.Results Most patients (78.4%) had blood pressure values above normal range. More than

SUBMITTER: Doughty J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10635822 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature