In conjunction with the Rheumatology department at King's College London, an online patient advice article has been published to advise patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on how to maintain their oral health.

There has always been a long-standing, observational link between periodontal disease and RA, with Hippocrates suggesting centuries ago that pulling teeth could cure arthritis. Fortunately, with the medical and dental treatments available these days, this is not necessary or recommended!

Patients with RA can experience problems with their mouths. Some are directly related to RA such as periodontal disease, jaw problems and xerostomia, and some are indirectly related to RA; being a result of RA medication or caused by difficulty with cleaning the mouth (due to problems with other joints). This will not be a problem for all people with RA, but it may be helpful to be aware of these potential problems. The online resource provides information for dentists and DCPs on how to care for and offer advice to patients presenting with RA.

The oral health section of this online resource has been put together by Rupinder K. Bansal (dentist), Miranda Steeples (dental hygienist-yherapist) and Savia de Souza (Honorary Patient Expert, Academic Rheumatology, King's College London).

Visit http://www.nras.org.uk/oral-health to view the resource.