Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may have an increased risk of dental decay and a higher oral bacteria presence. This study was published recently in BMC Oral Health.
Additionally, patients with RA and SLE may have significantly higher decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index scores and more, the authors wrote.
"It is recommended that these patients pay more attention to their oral hygiene and undergo periodic oral examinations," wrote the authors, led by Aida Mehdipour of the Qom University of Medical Sciences Cellular and Molecular Research Center in Iran (BMC Oral Health, March 18, 2025, Vol. 25, 399).
Conducted in 2024, this cross-sectional analytical study included 91 adults, 31 with RA, 30 with SLE, and 30 healthy controls. Tooth decay was assessed using the DMFT and International Caries Detection Assessment System (ICDAS) indices, while disease severity was measured with the disease activity score-28 index for RA and the SLE disease activity-2K index for lupus, they wrote.
The presence of Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus spp., and Candida albicans in supragingival plaque was cultured so they could be evaluated. A significant correlation was found between disease type and the DMFT index.
The DMFT index was significantly higher in the lupus and RA groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Although the RA group had a higher DMFT index than the lupus group, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.480), they wrote.
Also, the ICDAS index was significantly higher in lupus and RA patients than in the control group (p < 0.001). Similarly, the SC index was significantly elevated in lupus and RA patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). The MSA index was also significantly higher in the lupus and RA groups than in the control group (p < 0.001).
Nevertheless, the study had limitations. Medications used during treatment may have influenced oral health and should be considered a potential confounding factor, the authors added.
"Future inquiries into the underlying mechanisms, as well as the development of oral microbiome-assisted diagnostic strategies, prognostic assessments, and therapeutic interventions, may hold significant promise for the effective management of autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis," they wrote.
