The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Research Underscores Need to Assess Oral Health in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

Research Underscores Need to Assess Oral Health in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

November 16, 2016 • By Kurt Ullman

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF
Rheumatologists see patients with SSc much more often than a dentist, and patients will complain about their oral opening, dry mouth, and more.

Rheumatologists see patients with SSc much more often than a dentist, and patients will complain about their oral opening, dry mouth, and more.
Alim Yakubov/shutterstock.com

Oral health is not frequently considered within the sphere of a rheumatologist’s practice. However, recent results published by the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group (CSRG) point out the importance of assessing oral health in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

You Might Also Like
  • Systemic Sclerosis Mortality Rate May Be Underestimated
  • Diagnostic Criteria, Classification Lacking for Vasculitis; New Research in Treatment for Systemic Sclerosis
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients May Have Worse Oral Health
Explore This Issue
November 2016
Also By This Author
  • Study Assesses Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Safety in Rheumatic Disease

Result of 3-Year Grant

Between 2008 and 2011, 163 patients with SSc and 231 controls were entered into a multisite, cross-sectional study. “[This study is] the result of a three-year grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research for ‘The impact of oral–facial manifestations of SSc on health-related quality of life (QoL),’” says Mervyn Gornitsky, FRCD(C), professor emeritus in the faculty of dentistry at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. “Recruitment for both controls and patients was greater in number than had ever been done.”

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Seven CCRG sites throughout Canada were involved with recruitment. Dentists from various sites performed detailed, standardized examinations of the oral and dental tissues. X-rays were taken as needed and read by two (blinded) oral radiologists.

Control subjects were drawn from a cohort who were being seen for mechanical joint problems. They were matched by gender and age and were recruited from the same study sites. Over 90% of the cohort was female, with a mean age of 56 years.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Diffuse disease was present in over 28% of the group and the mean duration of disease was 13.7 years. The mean physician global assessment of disease severity was 2.9.

Dr. Gornitsky

Dr. Gornitsky

Quality of life was measured using the Oral Health Impact Profile. This is a 49-question instrument that looks at seven dimensions of oral health, including functional limitations, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical disability, psychological disability, social disability and handicap.

“Rheumatologists see patients with SSc much more often than a dentist,” says Dr. Gornitsky. “Patients will complain about their oral opening, dry mouth, painful teeth and bleeding gums. Rheumatologists should be asking their patients if they are having trouble chewing and oral health questions with the intent of sending them to their dentist for treatment.” Questions to ask include:

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE
  • Do you have problems with your teeth?
  • Do you have any problems chewing?
  • Are there any sores in your mouth?
  • Do you have any symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)?
  • Do you have problems with saliva production or dry mouth?

The research turned up some interesting results for rheumatologists in this sphere.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions, Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes Tagged With: Diagnosis, Healthcare, Management, oral health, patient care, Research, Rheumatic Disease, rheumatology, Systemic sclerosis, therapy, TreatmentIssue: November 2016

You Might Also Like:
  • Systemic Sclerosis Mortality Rate May Be Underestimated
  • Diagnostic Criteria, Classification Lacking for Vasculitis; New Research in Treatment for Systemic Sclerosis
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients May Have Worse Oral Health
  • Low Blood Pressure Increases Risk of Death in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)