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Background: Different studies have estimated a higher risk of dental and periodontal abnormalities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but it is often under-diagnosed. Objectives: In this context, we conducted this study, whose objectives were to evaluate the frequency and the type of oral and periodontal abnormalities in patients with RA compared to control subjects and to determine the predictive factors of the periodontal disease. Methods: This is a case control study conducted during the period between July 2020 and June 2022. The oral and osteoarticular examination was performed for each patient. The different dental and periodontal indices were calculated: CAO index, plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI). Results: Sixty patients diagnosed with RA according to the ACR/EULAR 2010 classification and 71 controls were included. The mean age of patients with RA was 53.2 ± 12.5 years 24-80 and that of the control group was 47.2 ±12.8 years 22-74 years. The mean duration of disease was 12.8 ± 8.1 years 6 months-37 years with moderate to severe activity in 36.4 % of cases (n=20). The oral examination showed poor oral hygiene based on the plaque index (PI) in both groups. The frequency of moderate to severe plaque accumulation (PI≥ score 2) was comparable between the two groups (91.7% versus 94.4%; p=0.5). Regarding dental status, the median CAO was greater in the RA group with a significant difference (5 1-10 versus 2 0-5; pConclusion: Our study confirmed the frequency of periodontitis and dental abnormalities in RA patients compared to controls and their association with age, menopausal status, disease activity and CRP level. Hence the importance of early detection and management of these abnormalities in order to improve the disease activity and the quality of life of our patients especially in elderly. REFERENCES: NIL. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: None declared.
Salem et al. (Sat,) studied this question.