American Heart Association

Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™

Dentist with patient during exam

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 American Heart Association’s Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ 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.

Healthy Smiles Health Hearts logo

The Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts initiative aims to advance equitable, integrated care by:

  • Giving dental and primary health care teams the tools and resources they need for prevention, early detection and better patient care coordination.
  • Helping patients and the public understand the connection between oral health and heart health and the steps they can take to protect both.

Turn Every Dental Visit into a Complete Health Check!

Red tooth

Every year, approximately
27 million people
visit a dentist but not a physician.

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.

Ready to take action in your practice?

Help your dental team become a frontline partner in heart health. Here’s how you can get started:

Build Knowledge with Professional Education

Group of health professionals sitting and taking notes in class

We are helping to promote collaboration across oral health care and primary health care teams for patients’ total well-being by:

  • Creating professional education activities to provide oral health care teams with information and resources on how best to work together.
  • Providing oral health care teams with information on how to measure blood pressure properly.
  • Encouraging dental professionals to refer patients to primary care professionals with any potential concerns.

Implement a Standard Screening and Referral Protocol

Two health care professionals in discussion

We are focusing on improving the integration of care between oral health and heart health by:

  • Developing tools and resources for blood pressure screenings and referrals for dental care professionals.
  • Creating a standardized process for blood pressure screenings and referrals in dental settings.
  • Developing and promoting a recognition program for oral health care teams who participate in quality blood pressure screening processes.

Engage Patients with Education Materials

Woman receiving treatment at dentist

We are highlighting how health care teams that work together can provide better total care for patients by:

  • Designing educational materials to help patients better understand the connection between oral health and heart health.
  • Providing educational resources in dental care settings for easy access for patients.
  • Encouraging patients to take charge of their total well-being.
Whether you are focused on improving your oral health or heart health, helping a loved one improve theirs, or you are a health care professional committed to offering the best care, Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ is here to support you. Together, we can create healthier communities, one smile and one heartbeat at a time.

Learn more about the connection between oral health and heart health and how you can take care of both. 

Delta Dental is proud to collaborate with the American Heart Association on the Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts initiative.
Learn more about Delta Dental(link opens in new window)(link opens in new window).

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