Periodontitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis - The Dual Link

Two most common chronic inflammatory diseases affecting mankind are rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. Etiology of the two may differ but have similarities in their pathogenesis, immune response, diagnosis and treatment. Over the past decade, research exploring the binary connection are numerous and growing by the day. This article enumerates the association between the two and with special significance to the role of periodontal pathogens like P.gingivalis on citrullination in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.