LONDON -- The condition of a patient's mouth could be linked to the severity of
rheumatoid arthritis, researchers from the Netherlands suggested here at the
European League Against Rheumatism meeting.
In reviewing records of 95
patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Elisabeth Brouwer, MD, assistant professor
of internal medicine at the University Medical Center in Groningen, reported
that 18% of the patients had severe periodontal disease and 32% had moderate
periodontal disease.
"In a normal adult population, about 10%-15% of
people have moderate or severe periodontal disease," Brouwer told MedPage
Today at her poster presentation here. "We think that the increased
inflammatory process that is occurring in the mouths of patients with rheumatoid
arthritis may be playing a role in their disease."
Lynn, boy this article hit close to home....or should I say mouth! As my RA has progressed so has my dental and oral issues even though I've had good oral hygiene, routine dental appts. and cleaning at least twice a year when I was younger and now every 3 months. The gum disease is progressing right along with RA. My appts. aren now every 3 months and I'm hoping that I can stay ahead of the game. It's a good rule that people with RA see the dentist nore often than normal. Lindy
I must stand in line with LinB... I have peridontal disease as well. After having a very vigorous cleaning I, too, will be going every three months to keep the disasters at bay! ... It's an expensive habit ;) good teeth and gums..
This belief was so common that, when a
patient was diagnosed with RA during this era, dentists were often
employed to find and treat the dental infections that supposedly were
causing it.
While this procedure wasn’t effective in curing RA, belief in the
infectious theory of RA persisted. Over time, interest in this theory
eventually waned as studies revealed that RA was controlled by the
body’s immune system. Therapy was then directed at controlling the
inflammation rather than looking for dental infections.
Studies of large populations still show
an association between RA and diseases of the teeth and gums, however.
Medical researchers, however, have proposed alternative theories about
the source of this observed association of RA and diseases of the teeth
and gums. Perhaps gum disease and RA occur together because RA makes
using a toothbrush difficult. Tooth and gum disease might result from
being unable to effectively brush and floss one’s teeth.
Furthermore, patients who have RA take many medications that can affect the teeth.
Many studies have been undertaken to compare the rates of tooth plaque and dental caries (cavities) in two populations-one group consisting of patients with RA and the other group consisting of age- and sex-matched people without RA. While researchers found that the rates of dental caries and plaque were the same, RA patients had a higher level of periodontal disease and a higher rate of tooth loss. Based on these findings, some scientists have suggested that bacterial infections around the teeth can trigger a chain Of events in genetically susceptible individuals that ultimately results in RA. The bacteria interact with proteins and white blood cells in the body, “tricking” the white blood cells into creating an inflammatory reaction with the body’s connective tissue.
While some intriguing evidence supports this theory the jury is still out on whether it is a significant cause of RA.
http://www.arthritisjointpaingone.com