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Abstract
Purpose The aim of the study was to asses oral health conditions in connective tissue diseases.
Material and Methods Ninety nine women aged from 25 to 74 years were enrolled in the study. The study group comprised patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 36) and scleroderma (n = 14). The control group consisted of healthy women.
Clinical examination of the oral cavity included the assessment of the dental condition in terms of the occurrence of caries, periodontal disease and mucous membrane disease, the level of oral hygiene and the occurrence of subjective complaints in the oral cavity.
Results Statistically significantly higher values of oral hygiene indices i.e. Approximal Plaque Index (API), Oral Hygiene Index – Simplified (OHI – S) and the Calculus Index – Simplified (CI – S) and Debris Index-Simplified (DI-S) were observed in patients with connective tissue systemic diseases (API 38.32 ± 29.66 vs. 25.21 ± 18.61; p = 0.016 OHI-S 1.54 ± 1.09 vs. 0.92 ± 0.80; p = 0.001 CI-S 0.88 ± 0.61 vs. 0.56 ± 0.59; p = 0.002 DI-S 0.66 ± 0.56 vs. 0.37 ± 0.29; p = 0.011).
The Sulcus Bleeding Index – modified (mSBI index) was statistically significantly higher in the group of patients with connective tissue systemic diseases compared to the control group (27.64 ± 28.57 vs. 12.17 ± 18.13, p = 0.001). The Sulcus Bleeding Index – modified (mSBI index) was statistically significantly higher in the group of patients with connective tissue systemic diseases compared to the control group (27.64 ± 28.57 vs. 12.17 ± 18.13, p = 0.001). In these patients oral mucosal abnormalities were more prevalent compared to the control group (60% vs. 26.53%).
Conclusions Patients with systemic connective tissue disease have impaired salivation, a lower salivary pH and a lower buffer capacity, although the differences are not significant in the case of the last two parameters. Worse condition of dental and oral health of female patients with systemic connective tissue disease indicates the need to provide this group of women with a dental prophylactic and therapeutic program that considers the specificity of the impact of the underlying disease on dentition, periodontium, mucous membrane and saliva parameters.
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