Protocolised odontological assessment of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

The aim of this study is to describe the findings of a protocolised odontological evaluation of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) treated in rheumatology units in the Community of Madrid.Multicentric descriptive study in which pSS patients classified according to the American-European consensus of 2002 criteria were included. We collected the demographic, clinical and serological data of each patient. A complete oral examination was performed and salivary flow and the CAOD caries index were collected. The patients completed the visual analogue scale for xerostomia, the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 questionnaire and an oral health questionnaire.Sixty-one patients were recruited. Ninety-eight percent were women and the mean age of the patients was 57 years. Pathological oral signs (unstimulated salivary flow/salivary glands sialography/scintigraphy) were present in 52.5% of the patients, anti-Ro/anti-La were positive in 90.2%. Ninety-two percent of the patients reported xerostomia and 61% of the patients suffered from hyposialia. Thirty-five patients presented oral mucosa lesions. CAOD index was 16.97±7.93 and visual analogue scale for xerostomia was 46.69±14.43. The results of the OHIP-14 questionnaire were 23.13±14.16. Patients with pathological oral signs obtained a significantly higher Oral Health Impact Profile-14 score (P=.03). We also found that patients with peripheral nervous system involvement obtained a significantly higher Oral Health Impact Profile-14 score (P=.001) CONCLUSIONS: The presence of xerostomia in this cohort of pSS patients was high and hyposialia was present in 61% of the patients. Oral lesions appeared in more than half of the subjects. Oral health had a negative impact on the quality of life of patients with pSS, being higher in those with pathological objective oral signs and in those with peripheral nervous system involvement.