A recent systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that people with Sj?gren’s disease may be more prone to tooth loss.
The disease is caused by the immune system attacking exocrine glands, especially salivary glands and tear glands, which often leads to reduced saliva secretion, leading to a series of oral health problems such as dry mouth, tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Although studies have explored the relationship between Sj?gren’s syndrome and oral complications, a systematic summary of whether the disease directly causes tooth loss has been relatively scarce.
To fill this gap, the research team searched five databases and gray literature and included a total of 21 studies involving 3,702 Sj?gren’s syndrome patients and healthy controls.
The meta-analysis results showed that the number of teeth lost in Sj?gren’s syndrome patients was significantly higher than that in healthy individuals, with a mean difference of 2.77 teeth (95% confidence interval: 2.05 to 3.50).
Further meta-regression analysis found that about 97.8% of the heterogeneity between the study results could be attributed to the income level of the participating countries, indicating that socioeconomic factors may play an important role in the impact of the disease.
Although the studies included in this analysis generally had good methodological quality, the comparability between studies was low, which to some extent limited the overall strength of the evidence. Therefore, the research team rated the overall quality of the evidence as “low”.
Experts emphasized that dental professionals have a key role in identifying and managing oral complications related to Sj?gren’s syndrome.
Regular oral examinations and early intervention may help prevent long-term adverse consequences such as severe tooth loss and improve patients’ quality of life.