To determine the impact of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) on general health in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Ninety-one patients with RA (mean age 52.82 ± 11 years, 75.82% female, 20.87% smokers) and 30 systemically healthy patients (control) were evaluated for their OHRQoL by means of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14 questionnaires. Self-perceived RA status was assessed using the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3).
The mean SC-GOHAI score was 3.69 ± 2.47 for RA subjects and 1.36 ± 2.69 in the control group. Statistically significant differences were seen between RA and control groups (p < 0.05). RA patients with and without periodontitis (PA) exhibited similar SC-GOHAI (Simple Count GOHAI) scores (p = 0.980). No statistically significant differences were observed between any of the groups, either for the OHIP 14-extent or for the OHIP 14-prevalence. RAPID3 scores showed that the majority of the RA patients (65.93%) had high disease severity (RAPID3 >12, mean RAPID3 score 14.39 ± 5.14). Statistically significantly higher values were recorded for general health assessment (PTGE, p = 0.009) and fatigue (FT, p = 0.004) in RA with PA as compared to those without. SC-GOHAI with values between 5 and 8 was statistically significantly associated with high severity health impairment (RAPID3 >12, p = 0.014, OR: 8.64).
Within their limits, the present findings indicate that: a) moderate OHRQoL as assessed by GOHAI may contribute to high severity impairment of health in RA patients, and b) the GOHAI questionnaire may represent a more adequate tool than OHIP-14 for assessing OHRQoL in patients suffering from RA.