Assessment of oral health among patients with multiple sclerosis – A case-control study in polish population

Introduction Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, and demyelinating neurological disease with a multifactorial etiology. Genetic, environmental, and infectious factors play a role in its pathogenesis. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of tooth-supporting tissues that involves infection by microorganisms and the host-mediated loss of periodontal attachment. The existence of a definitive link between MS and periodontitis has not been established conclusively to date. Materials and Methods The study group included 170 patients with relapsing-remitting MS: 123 women and 47 men aged 26–66 years. The control group consisted of 150 patients – 99 women and 51 men aged 21–72 years. The periodontal probing depth (PPD), modified sulcus bleeding index (mSBI), approximal plaque index (API), and community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) were assessed in all patients. Results A total of 104 (61%) patients in the study group had healthy periodontal tissues, 50 (30%) had gingivitis, 16 (9%) had periodontitis (based on the presence of PPD >4 mm). In the control group, periodontitis was significantly more common ( p = 0.027). Almost half of the MS patients (83 subjects, 48.8%) reported dry mouth, whereas in the control group only 16% ( p < 0.0001) reported dry mouth. Patients with higher expanded disability status scale scores had higher API and mSBI scores and fewer teeth. Conclusion In this study, no association was found between MS and periodontitis. Xerostomia, on the other hand, was significantly more common in patients with MS.