ACDE - Updates on Periodontal Infections and Rheumatoid Arthritis Link

The course focuses on the role of chronic oral/periodontal infections on chronic systemic diseases, with focus on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the role of the oral health care team in patients' education and interdisciplinary management of these patients, including review of recent findings on the association of chronic oral infections and auto-immune arthritis from animal and human studies, the impact of oral microbiota and oral/periodontal chronic infections as risk factors that can aggravate or trigger autoimmune arthritis, the impact of periodontal treatment on RA disease activity, and recommendations for the collaborative management of the patient with oral/systemic chronic diseases by a health care team that includes dentists, dental hygienists, and physicians.

Course Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, participants will:

• Understand the association between periodontal and autoimmune diseases
• Understand the role of oral microbiota as one of the possible triggers in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

• Educate their dental patients about the link between oral infections and autoimmune arthritis

• Understand the importance of interprofessional management of patients with oral/periodontal infections and autoimmune arthritis

Educational Method: Zoom Lecture