Rheumatoid Arthritis and Treatment of Periodontitis: a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Periodontitis is an infectious disease defined by bacteria-mediated inflammation of the supporting tissues of the teeth that if left untreated may ultimately lead to the destruction of the attachment apparatus, culminating in tooth loss. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic destructive inflammatory disease characterized by autoantibodies and the accumulation and persistence of an inflammatory infiltrate in the synovial membrane that leads to synovitis and the destruction of the joint architecture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible beneficial additional value of non-surgical periodontal therapy on systemic markers of inflammation and clinical and serological parameters of rheumatoid arthritis.