The Addition of Chinese Herbal Medicines Is Effective as a Prophylactic Treatment Against Dental Diseases for Sjögren’s Syndrome Patients: Insight from Real-World Database

Background and Objectives: Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the salivary glands and increases the risk of developing dental diseases (DDs). Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) represent a promising alternative strategy for SS treatment; however, the association between CHMs and DD risk has not been confirmed. In this retrospective, cohort-based, nested case-control study, we explored whether or not combining CHMs with routine treatments for SS can reduce the chance of DDs. Materials and Methods: In the beginning, we recruited subjects aged 20–80 years with newly diagnosed SS who were free of DDs between 2001 and 2009 from a nationwide insurance database. We identified DD events that occurred after SS diagnosis until 31 December, 2013. Corresponding controls were randomly selected from the remaining enrollees using a pair-matched approach. We then exploited conditional logistic regression to explore the association between CHM use and subsequent risk of DD development. Results: Based on the recruited 586 DD cases and 586 non-DD controls, we noted that adding CHMs to routine SS treatment substantially correlated with a lower risk of developing DDs (adjusted odds ratio = 0.68; 95% confidence interval = 0.52–0.90). Notably, for those receiving CHM treatment for more than 365 days, CHM use greatly reduced DD susceptibility, by 44%. Conclusions: Embedding CHMs within routine SS care can prevent subsequent DDs incidence, implying the urgent need for interdisciplinary collaboration and careful treatment planning.