Periodontitis in psoriasis patients. A blinded, case-controlled study

Abstract

Objective. Destructive periodontitis is one of the most frequent and widespread bacterial infections in humans. Psoriasis is a common condition in the general population. Since both psoriasis and periodontal diseases are characterized by an exaggerated response of the immune system to the epithelial surface microbiota, there may possibly be an association between these two conditions. The aim of the present pilot study was to investigate the prevalence of periodontal disease in psoriasis patients compared to healthy controls. Material and methods. Dental bite-wing X-rays were obtained from 155 psoriasis patients aged 45–60 years, as well as from 155 age- and gender-matched controls. All X-rays were examined by the same investigator for accumulated destructive periodontitis using bone level and loss of teeth as endpoints. Results. A significantly lower radiographic bone level (p < 0.001) and a significantly higher number of missing teeth (p < 0.001) were observed in the psoriasis cases compared to the controls. Conclusion. Our study indicates that psoriasis patients experience more bone loss than age- and gender-matched controls.