Prevalence of periodontitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Background and Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are more susceptible to the initiation of severe periodontitis which can ultimately intensify their systemic inflammation associated with RA. The present study aimed to determine the incidence of periodontitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Materials and Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out on 168 rheumatoid arthritis patients in the Department of Dentistry and Internal Medicine of a Tertiary Care Hospital of Lahore, Pakistan from January 2022 to December 2022. All the patients were inquired about their demographic details, medical history and smoking habits. A detailed periodontal examination of full mouth was done and plaque index, clinical attachment level (CAL) and probing pocket depth (PPD) was measured. Rheumatoid factor (RF)’s presence, number of tender and swollen joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); Disease Activity Index (DAS) and hand radiographs were the different RA parameters which were recorded. Periodontal conditions were then associated and correlated with RA parameters. Results: Out of the total 168 RA patients, there were 142 (84.5%) females and 26 (15.5%) male patients. The overall mean age was 48.6 ± 8.64 years. The overall mean DAS score and disease duration was 4.58 ± 1.32 and 9.58 ± 6.8 years respectively.