Periodontitis, caries and salivary factors in Sjögren's syndrome patients compared to sex‐ and age‐matched controls

Abstract

The aims of this investigation were: (i) to study a group of dry mouth Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients comprising individuals with pathological and non-pathological amounts of rest saliva and (ii) to compare these two categories of SS patients with a sex- and age-matched control group with respect to their periodontal and dental status. Thirty-three dry mouth patients and 33 sex- and age-matched patients, referred to the same private dental clinic in southern Norway, were examined for rest and stimulated saliva, as well as their dental and periodontal status. All patients were referred to the local hospital for blood and urine examinations. The dry mouth SS patients were all of the secondary type. Volumes of rest and stimulated saliva were significantly lower in the low saliva SS group compared with the high saliva SS group; the values for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA were similarly lower for the low saliva group, but not for IgM which was significantly higher. The two SS subgroups and their controls were compared for the volume of rest and stimulated saliva, which showed a statistically significant lower volumes for the low saliva SS group compared with the control group. None of the subgroups and their controls differed concerning filled or missing teeth, but the total SS group revealed significantly higher number of missing teeth. The periodontal and dental status did not show any statistically significant differences except for a few scattered higher periodontal level losses of attachment in the SS subgroups. The blood and urine analyses showed statistically significant higher values for sedimentation rate, white blood cell count and haemoglobin in the SS low saliva group compared with the control group while anti-streptolysin was lower. In the high saliva SS group only sedimentation rate and white cell count were higher compared with the control. The conclusions is SS patients do not have an increased risk for developing periodontitis.

Periodontal Disease and Sjögren Syndrome: A Possible Correlation?

“…However, several recent studies corroborate this thesis. [9][10][11][12][13] Antoniazzi et al 14 studied the major inflammatory markers in gingival crevicular fluid and major indices in participants with primary SS (SSp) and secondary SS (SSs). Individuals with SSs demonstrated a significantly lower stimulated whole saliva flow rate and higher mean plaque index, gingival index, probing depth, clinical attachment level, and bleeding on probing than controls.…”

Oral manifestations and their treatment in Sjögren′s syndrome

“…Some studies have demonstrated higher plaque index, gingival bleeding, probing depth, and periodontal index in SS patients with elevated risk of periodontal disease (Najera et al , ; Celenligil et al , ; Rhodus and Michalowicz, ; Ergun et al , ). While others have shown non‐significant differences between SS patients and control groups regarding clinical parameters and periodontal status (Tseng et al , ; Tseng, ; Mutlu et al , ; Lundstrom and Lindstrom, ; Tervahartiala et al , ; Kolavic et al , ; Boutsi et al , ; Kuru et al , ; Jorkjend et al , ; Leung et al , ). In addition, no increased risk of periodontal disease has been detected in some of the above‐mentioned studies (Pedersen et al , ).…”

Periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis

“…Recently published classification criteria for primary Sjogren’s syndrome by the American College of Rheumatology and the Sjogren’s International Collaborative Clinical Alliance Cohort [7 ■■ ] will facilitate more accurate descriptions of Sjogren’s prevalence, a condition with considerable impact on overall healthrelated quality of life [8 ■ ,9 ■ ]. Whether secondary Sjogren’s in rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an increased periodontal disease remains unclear; some studies [10–12] have suggested increased periodontal disease and gingivitis in Sjogren’s, but others have not.…”