title: Periodontal condition in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The purpose of this clinical study was to investigate if periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated. The study included 39 RA patients (test group) and 22 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals (control group). Questionnaires on general and oral health were applied and a complete periodontal exam, including visible plaque, marginal bleeding, attachment loss (AL) and number of teeth present, was also performed by a single calibrated examiner. Diabetes mellitus patients and smokers were excluded. RA patients had fewer teeth, higher prevalence of sites presenting dental plaque and a higher frequency of sites with advanced attachment loss. Although the prevalence of dental plaque was higher in the test group (Chi-square test, p = 0.0006), the percentage of sites showing gingival bleeding was not different (Fishers exact test, p > 0.05). Based on our results, we suggest that there is an association between periodontal disease and RA.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry of Araraquara, São Paulo State University, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo de Paula
authors.initials: Ede P
authors.lastname: Ishi
authors.forename: Manoel Barros
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Bertolo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rossa
authors.forename: Keith Lough
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
authors.forename: Mirian Aparecida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Onofre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000209:etiology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000209:etiology; D017678:Sex Distribution