Periodontitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objectives: A relationship between periodontitis and systemic conditions like cardiovascular diseases, diabet, low weight and premature births have been well established. Few reports have also shown an association between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the joint. Therefore the aim of this study was to find the relationship between periodontitis and RA in a cross- sectional study. Methods: Fifty RA patients and fifty healthy individuals(control group) were examined. Plaque index, bleeding sites, probing depth, clinical attachment loss, gingival recession, and number of missing teeth in all the individuals were recorded. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the mean of plaque index, percentage of bleeding sites, mean of probing depth, percentage of sites with probing depth more than 3 mm, percentage of sites with attachment loss, and percentage of sites with gingival recession between the control and RA groups. However, the mean of attachment loss, mean of gingival recession, and the average number of missing teeth were significantly higher in the RA patients compared with the control group. Conclusions: The periodontal disease (based on the average clinical attachment loss) was seen with a higher severity in the RA patients. This proved that periodontal infection could be in relation with disorders of every part of the body.