Periodontal Health Status in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

The EFFECTS of NON-SURGICAL PERIODONTAL TREATMENT in PATIENTS with SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

The aim of the research will be to evaluate the effects of NSPT on clinical periodontal parameters, level of antioxidants in unstimulated saliva and the levels of biomarkers (VEGF, TGF-β, IL-17) in the GCF in SSc patients in comparison with systemically healthy controls. Twenty systemic sclerosis patients with periodontitis (SS group) and twenty systemically healthy periodontitis patients (P group) will be enrolled in the present study. The results may indicate higher periodontal destruction and antioxidant perturbations in unstimulated saliva of systemic sclerosis patients with periodontitis compared to systemically healthy periodontitis patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• established diagnoses of systemic sclerosis and periodontitis (study group),
• age ≥ 18
• presence of minimum 12 teeth

Exclusion Criteria:

• concurrent inflammatory mediated rheumatic diseases
• pregnancy or lactation
• active cigarette smokers
• a history of periodontal, antibiotics or non-steroidal drug therapy in the past 6 months.