Dental management of patients with hypertension.

About 50 million people in the United States have hypertension. Many epidemiologists feels it is the number one public health problem in developed countries. Although asymptomatic early on, untreated hypertension leads to cardiovascular disease, strokes, renal failure, and blindness. Dentists no doubt treat patients with hypertension and its sequelae in their practice. This article summarizes the current thinking on the diagnosis and treatment of this condition, emphasizing dental implications. The article presents common oral and systemic side effects of antihypertensive medications, and discusses how dentists can help treat hypertension through the fabrication of devices useful in reducing obstructive sleep apnea.