Oral manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. A cross-sectional study of 73 patients.
Clin Oral Investig 2016;
20:2575-2580. [PMID:
26888220 DOI:
10.1007/s00784-016-1745-z]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
A study is made of the main oral manifestations of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly salivary flow, and of its possible association to periodontal disease.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A prospective comparative study was made of 146 patients (73 with RA and 73 controls), recording pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding index, plaque index, and the DMFT index to assess periodontal and dental alterations. Sialometric measurements were also made to determine resting, stimulated, and parotid salivary flow.
RESULTS
The patients with RA had greater periodontal pocket depths (with moderate depths in most cases), as well as greater attachment loss and more bacterial plaque. The resting whole saliva and stimulated parotid saliva rates were also clearly decreased in the RA group compared with the controls.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with RA are more likely to present periodontal disease, poorer oral hygiene manifesting as an increased accumulation of bacterial plaque, and decreased salivary flow rates.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Vulnerability to periodontitis is confirmed in one of the largest samples ever studied of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Also, there is evidence of hyposialia (decrease in salivary rate) in RA patients without Sjögren's syndrome.
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