Abstract
BackgroundThe oral health in patients with rheumatologic diseases is frequently affected because of chronic inflammation, slow rate of saliva production and poor self-care. These factors affect the life quality and psychosocial wellness, causing pain, difficulty biting and chewing, even malnutrition. The Geriatric/General Oral Health Assessment Index Spanish Version (GOHAI-SP) consists in 12 items and values self-perception in oral health and wellness (1), validated and applied to young adults (2).Objectivesto describe the oral health measured by the GOHAI-SP in patients with rheumatic diseases.Methodsa cross-sectional and observational study was conducted of January to May 2021 in rheumatology service of Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González” at Monterrey, Mexico. Patients with rheumatologic diseases was assessed with GOHAI-SP during their control consult, each item is valuated like a Likert ordinal scale from 1 to 5, the best and worst possible score is 60-12 respectively, patients whit score <45 is classified as poor oral health and >50 as good oral health(3). This assessment is divided in self-perception of mechanical function, pain and discomfort in mouth, gums, teeth and psychosocial function (4).Results316 patients were included, 289 (91.5%) were women, the mean age was 46.23 years (SD: 15.49), the general mean score was 51.88 classified as good oral health. 24 (7.52%) patients was classified with moderate oral health and 63 (19.74%) as poor oral health. The most frequent diagnoses with poor oral health were rheumatoid arthritis 26 cases (8.22%), systemic lupus erythematosus 11 cases (3.48%) and psoriasic arthritis 4 cases(1.2%).ConclusionThe prevalence of poor or moderated self-perceived oral health in patients with rheumatologic diseases was 27.53%. The primary prevention and early detection plays a fundamental roll to avoid oral disease in this population.
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