News from the front

Mouth-Body Connection®

News from the Front

Insights from PDS Health on coordinated care and oral-systemic science

News from the Front shares what PDS Health is learning as the Mouth-Body Connection® and dental-medical integration take shape in real clinical settings ⎯ drawn from our own data, research partnerships and frontline experience. Discover how coordinated care is changing patient outcomes, from screening to referral, with new findings regularly added as our research continues.

Findings From

the Front Lines

OCTOBER 2026

More than 1 in 4 dental patients surveyed reported having no primary care provider

Among those patients, 49.2% had a high blood pressure reading during their dental visit, highlighting an opportunity for dental teams to help connect patients with medical care.

Source: CareQuest Innovation Partners × PDS Health Blood Pressure Screening Pilot, 2026

Dental screenings flagged high blood pressure readings in patients with no reported history

Among patients who said they had never been told they had high blood pressure, 39% had a high reading during their dental visit.

(Source: CareQuest Innovation Partners × PDS Health Blood Pressure Screening Pilot, 2026

Advanced gum disease was linked to higher likeliness of an elevated blood pressure reading

Patients with Stage IV periodontal disease were 2.32 times more likely to have high blood pressure compared with those with Stage I disease.

(Source: CareQuest Innovation Partners × PDS Health Blood Pressure Screening Pilot, 2026).

The research behind this work

Every finding here connects back to the clinical and academic research on the Mouth-Body Connection® — the evidence base shaping how oral health affects overall health.

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