Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a higher incidence of periodontal disease compared with healthy control subjects, according to a study published in the June issue of Journal of Periodontology.
Researchers in Berlin examined the oral health of 57 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 52 healthy control subjects. To determine oral hygiene status, they performed comprehensive oral examinations in each participant, including an assessment of plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation. They also measured probing pocket depth and clinical attachment loss. The researchers used questionnaires to gauge subjects’ risk factors for periodontal disease.
The study findings indicated that patients with rheumatoid arthritis were nearly eight times more likely to have periodontal disease compared with control subjects. These findings accounted for demographic and lifestyle characteristics such as age, sex, education and tobacco use.
Researchers then examined the extent to which poor oral hygiene was associated with an increased occurrence of periodontal disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results showed that although oral hygiene was markedly a factor, it did not fully explain the association between the two diseases. This suggests that other parameters may be responsible for the increased prevalence of periodontal disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
"With results suggesting that rheumatoid arthritis is associated with periodontal disease, it is easy to assume that a [rheumatoid arthritis] sufferer is perhaps unable to properly care for his or her teeth and gums due to the debilitating nature of the disease," said Dr. Kenneth Kornman, editor of Journal of Periodontology. "However, this study implies that there are other potential factors involved.
"For instance, both [rheumatoid arthritis] and [periodontal] disease are systemic inflammatory disorders, which may explain the connection between the two," Dr. Kornman said. "Inflammation is already thought to link periodontal disease with other conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. We look forward to future research that may reveal the biological mechanisms that link these two important diseases."
