According to The American Academy of Periodontology, those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis can also have a tendency to be more vulnerable to having periodontal disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a weakening of immune system that causes inflammation affecting the strength of the muscles, joints, and bones. Periodontal disease is the inflammation of the gums that makes them red and causes them to bleed. This inflammation causes the strength of bone holding teeth to weaken over time resulting in bone loss thus leading to the weakening of the stabilization of teeth. Teeth then are vulnerable to becoming loose, nonfunctioning, and to tooth loss.

According to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology people who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to have moderate to severe jawbone loss and prone to periodontal disease which resulted in their having 11.6 more missing teeth.

Some tips for people with RA include:

• Maintain daily good oral hygiene habits of brushing, flossing, and using oral rinse to maintain good oral health since due to RA more likely to have periodontal disease.
• Consider utilizing an electronic tooth brush and water irrigator to help get food particles easier out of your mouth.
• Consider using a floss holder to make it easier to floss.
• Speak with your doctor about ways to maintain mouth wet and moist as sometimes medications for RA cause dry mouth which makes teeth more vulnerable to cavities and to periodontal disease.
• Be aware of maintaining good oral health by on a frequent basis checking to make sure gums are not red, nor inflamed and bleeding.
• Keeping periodontal disease under control is a good habit to develop for people with RA.

In addition to checking our website, another good site to check is The American Academy of Periodontology, www.perio.org.

So remember, practice good oral hygiene daily habits to help you control inflammation issues you face with RA and with periodontal disease.

Happy brushing and flossing! 🙂

Dr. Silvera