Joint break

Poor oral health can affect a patient’s overall well-being. An inadequate oral hygiene routine can increase the risk of diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and respiratory infections. Another prominent systemic health condition is rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which has a strong association with gingival diseases.

RA is an autoimmune disease characterised by an accumulation of inflammatory cells that destroy cartilage and bone tissue. Its symptoms include joint pain, joint damage, impaired function and increased mortality, with a global prevalence of 0.5 per cent to two per cent. Whilst exasperated by environmental factors such a smoking and obesity, RA has a connection with periodontitis and tooth loss and so practitioners must educate patients on the need for a consistent oral hygiene routine. 

Inflammatory explanatory 

Thirty per cent of the adult population is affected by periodontal disease. Poor brushing and flossing habits facilitate plaque build-up, eventually leading to the development of gingival diseases. RA and periodontitis are inflammatory diseases that share many similarities—both can be triggered by smoking, for instance. Genetic risk factors also overlap, with shared epitopes within the β-chain of the human leukocyte antigen and tyrosine phosphatase involved in both RA and periodontitis.