Rheumatoid arthritis and its effects on oral health

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of the arthritis family. It is a condition where a patient's own immune system attacks the body, in this instance the joints. The resulting inflammation of the joints can be painful and debilitating, leading to weakness and consequently a loss of function. If the hands are affected, it can have an impact on oral health.

There is a link between people with RA and periodontal disease (Mercado et al, 2000), which means that members of the dental team need to manage patients reporting this disease in their medical history carefully.

The term arthritis is defined as a serious condition in which a person's joints, the places where two bones are connected, become painful, swollen and stiff (Cambridge Dictionaries Online, 2013) (Figure 1).