Risk factors for caries development in primary Sjogren syndrome

The aim of this study was to compare the risk factors for caries between patients with primary Sjogren syndrome (SS) and those with non-Sjogren syndrome (NSS) salivary hypofunction and to identify the prevalence of incisal or cervical/root caries in each group.

This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted at a single center between 2012 and 2015 for assessment of patients with possible SS. Two-hundred and twenty-five (225) patients (99 SS and 126 NSS) participated in the study.

Student t test and Wilcoxon's rank sum test were used to evaluate group differences in continuous variables and the χ² test was used to determined differences in categorical variables. Significant univariate associations were further assessed by using multivariate ordinal regression models. Patients with SS were more likely to have a greater number of total caries (odds ratio [OR] 1.72 [1.03-2.88]; P = .04). And a focus score greater than 1/4 mm² was associated with greater number of total caries (OR 2.88 [1.05, 7.93]; P = .04]. Adjusted analysis for salivary flow did not show a significant association between stimulated or unstimulated salivary flow or glandular-specific salivary flow and the total number of carious lesions.

Patients with salivary hypofunction secondary to SS do have a greater caries risk compared with patients with salivary hypofunction caused by other factors. In this study cohort, this finding was not associated with salivary flow rates.