Periodontal Inflammation Linked to Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

According to a study published in The Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, patients with psoriasis (PsO) and/or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have significant periodontal inflammation.

Researchers aimed to examine the link between dental and periodontal health parameters in patients with PsO and/or PsA. They conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional, analytical study of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis, PsA, or both and control individuals utilizing the World Health Organization oral health assessment method to review dental and periodontal health parameters. Associations between periodontitis and PsO and/or PsA were determine by multivariate logistic regression, which was done on variables with significant or near-significant values after adjusting for confounders.

Results showed that PsO and/or PsA were independently and significantly associated with periodontal pockets (≥4 mm in depth). Additionally, PsA was present in a small subset of patients. Due to the cross-sectional study, limitations, causality, and temporal relationship could not be established.

“Background periodontitis can trigger and perpetuate inflammation in several chronic inflammatory diseases,” noted the study authors “This needs to be addressed by dental examination and intervention,” they concluded.

Reference
Polineni S, Gopinath H, Ramani JR, et al. The association of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis with periodontitis: a hospital-based case-control study. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. Published online February 1, 2023. doi:10.25259/IJDVL_331_2022