Investigation of Periodontal Conditions in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Periodontal disease with alveolar bone resorption and tooth loss is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA subjects show inadequate plaque control due to physical disability as well as compromised immune response, both of which might result in a greater predisposition to periodontal disease in these subjects than in the normal population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of periodontal disease among rheumatoid arthritis patients. Periodontal status (plaque index, papillary bleeding index, and missing teeth) was examined in 70 individuals including 35 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and 35 healthy individuals as control group. The results were analyzed using SPSS software and student t-test. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis included 31 females (88.6%) and 4 males (11.4%) with a mean age of 45 years. Healthy control group included 26 females (74.3%) and 9 males (25.7%) with a mean age of 37 years. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed significant increases in Plaque index (P=0.0001), papillary bleeding index (P=0.002), and number of missing teeth (P=0.03) compared to the healthy control group. Three patients also had secondary Sjogren's syndrome. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a greater level of periodontal disorders compared to control group. In addition to the effects of this chronic inflammatory disease and immune host deficiened, this could be attributed to physical disability in maintaining oral health and gingival effects of anti rheumatic medications.