SummaryAim: The purpose was to identify if rheumatoid arthritis (RA) influenced levels of salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease.Methods: Biological assessments and periodontal examinations were performed in 15 patients with RA, 10 patients with chronic periodontitis and 11 healthy patients as controls. Unstimulated whole salivasamples were analysed for interleukin-1b (IL-1b) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations.Results: The arthritis and healthy patients had significantly less oral disease than the periodontitis group but the arthritis group had significantly moresites bleeding on probing (BOP) than the control group. Salivary levels ofIL-1b were significantly elevated in the periodontal disease group, and IL-1b was the only biomarker with significantly higher levels in the arthritis group compared with control group. Arthritis patients receiving anti-TNF-α antibody therapy had significantly lower IL-1b and TNF-α levels compared with arthritis patients not on the anti-TNF-α therapy and healthy controls, respectively.Conclusion: RA patients have higher levels of periodontal inflammation than healthy control group and also an increased BOP. Systemic inflammation appears to influence levels of selected salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease, and anti-TNF-α therapy significantly modified lowered salivary levels IL-1b and TNF-α levels in RA.