DALLAS, Nov. 18, 2025 — The American Heart Association (AHA), working with Delta Dental of California, today unveiled Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts?, a new standard urging blood-pressure screening and referral as routine practice in dental offices.
About 29 million Americans see a dentist but no other medical professional each year, the AHA said — creating an opportunity for early detection of hypertension, a major driver of cardiovascular disease.
The program supplies dental teams with an e-learning module, a standardized screening and referral guide, and patient education materials that explain the link between oral and heart health.
A 2024 Harris Poll commissioned by the AHA found strong patient support for the idea. Roughly 88% of dental patients view their dental care team as an important part of their overall health care, and more than 80% said they are open to having blood pressure taken during dental visits.
“For many, the dental chair is the only point of contact with the health care system,” said Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, AHA’s chief medical officer for prevention. He added that early detection via dental visits can prompt timely referrals and improve outcomes.
Daniel Croley, D.M.D., chief dental officer at Delta Dental of California, framed the mouth as “a gateway to the body,” noting that dental professionals can play a larger role in patients’ broader health care by identifying risk factors earlier.
High blood pressure now affects nearly half of U.S. adults (46.7%), the release noted. In August 2025, the AHA and the American College of Cardiology issued a joint guideline calling for earlier hypertension treatment that combines lifestyle change and medication when appropriate.
The Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts initiative aims to expand integrated care by equipping dental clinicians to screen systematically and refer patients to primary care when needed — potentially catching cardiovascular risk before symptoms appear.