Rheumatoid Arthritis and Periodontal Disease. An Update.

A review of the epidemiological, pathological and immunological relationships between two chronic inflammatory diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontal disease (PD). RA is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints, characterized by loss of connective tissue and mineralized structures, the so-called "synovial membrane." Periodontitis is the inflammatory destruction of the periodontal attachment and alveolar bone. While the etiology of these two diseases may differ, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are similar. And it is possible that individuals manifesting both PD and RA may suffer from a unifying underlying systemic deregulation of the inflammatory response. There is an overproduction of a variety of cytokines and MMPs that appears to be common in both diseases. Oral health parameters should be more closely monitored in patients with RA, an autoimmune disease. Data suggest that periodontal therapies combined with routine RA treatments further improve RA status. Interventions to prevent, minimize or treat periodontitis in arthritis patients will definitely promise a better quality of life for these patients.