Blood pressure measuring equipment in the dental surgery: use or ornament?

OBJECTIVE

To survey the attitudes, knowledge and practice of general dental practitioners (GDPs) with regard to hypertension in dental patients and to assess opinion with regard to the concept of screening.

SETTING

General dental practice.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

GDPs via a postal survey. To achieve an acceptable level of accuracy, at least 196 responses were required.

RESULTS

Out of 300 questionnaires, 207 were returned (69% response rate). Most practitioners (98%) had received training in the measurement of blood pressure. Only 4.8% measured blood pressure routinely and this figure rose to 9.2% in patients with a known history of hypertension. Only 27.1% felt that the involvement of dentists in screening for hypertension was a good idea but 85.3% thought that education of practitioners about hypertension would be valuable.

CONCLUSION

Most GDPs thought that education of practitioners about hypertension was a good idea. They did not, however, want to be involved with screening of patients for hypertension.