German researchers have discovered that people with rheumatoid arthritis have a higher incidence of gum disease.
The study found that patients with RA were eight times more likely to be suffering from gum disease as compared to their healthy counterparts. In most cases it was found that poor oral hygiene was not a factor meaning some other considerations were also involved."With results suggesting that rheumatoid arthritis is associated with periodontal disease, it is easy to assume that an RA sufferer is perhaps unable to properly care for his or her teeth and gums due to the debilitating nature of the disease," said Dr Kenneth Kornman, editor of the Journal of the Periodontology. "We look forward to future research that may reveal the biological mechanisms that link these two important diseases."
The details of the study are published in the June issue of the Journal of Periodontology.
Source-Medindia
RAS/M
