Objective
The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate
the efficacy of non-surgical periodontal therapy on rheumatoid arthritis
activity.
Material and methods
Articles published until April 2019 were electronically
searched and screened using PubMed / MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases
according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and
Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). This study was recorded in the international
PROSPERO database (CRD42019132205). The PICO question (population, intervention,
comparison, results) was: in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis and
periodontitis (P), does non-surgical periodontal treatment (I), as compared to
no treatment (C), provides better outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis activity
(O).
Results
After searching the databases, seven articles were
selected for qualitative and five for quantitative analysis. The total number of
participants included was 292, with an average age of 50.5 years. All patients
had rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease. Non-surgical periodontal
treatment significantly reduced Disease Activity Score 28 (P = 0.004;
I
2
= 92%) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P = 0.01;
I
2
= 78%), but with no significant effect on C-reactive
protein (P = 0.34; I
2
= 92%).
Conclusions
It can be concluded that non-surgical periodontal
treatment can benefit patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
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