Oral health of Chinese people with systemic sclerosis

Clin Oral Investig. 2011 Dec;15(6):931-9. doi: 10.1007/s00784-010-0472-0. Epub 2010 Oct 12.

Abstract

The aim was to study oral health status, salivary function, and oral features of Chinese people with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Chinese people with SSc attending a university specialist clinic were invited for a questionnaire survey and a clinical examination. Ethics approval was sought (UW 08-305). Gender- and age-matched individuals without SSc who attended a university dental hospital were recruited for comparison. Forty-two SSc patients with a mean age of 54.0 ± 12.2 were examined. This study found no Chinese people with systemic sclerosis were periodontally healthy and many (76%) had periodontal pockets despite most of them (93%) practiced daily tooth-brushing. They all had caries experience (DMFT = 10.5) and many (65%) had untreated decay. Mucosal telangiectasia was a common oral feature (80%). They had lower resting salivary flow rates (0.18 ± 0.17 ml/min vs. 0.31 ± 0.21 ml/min; p = 0.003) and pH values (6.90 ± 0.40 vs. 7.28 ± 0.31; p < 0.001) and reduced maximal mouth opening (40.1 ± 6.5 mm vs. 43.6 ± 7.0 mm) than people without SSc.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Case-Control Studies
  • China
  • DMF Index
  • Dental Care
  • Dental Caries / complications
  • Dental Devices, Home Care
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / complications
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Diseases / complications*
  • Mouth Mucosa / blood supply
  • Periodontal Diseases / complications
  • Periodontal Pocket / complications
  • Saliva / metabolism
  • Salivary Gland Diseases / complications
  • Scleroderma, Systemic / complications*
  • Secretory Rate / physiology
  • Telangiectasis / complications
  • Tooth Diseases / complications*
  • Toothbrushing
  • Xerostomia / complications