Oral health in systemic sclerosis: A scoping review

Limited research on oral health in systematic sclerosis poses a significant challenge for people with systematic sclerosis and health care professionals. We conducted a scoping review to map existing research on oral health-related quality of life in systematic sclerosis across domains including (1) oral manifestations or symptoms, (2) functional consequences, (3) psychosocial aspects, (4) associated patient factors and (5) self-care and management considerations.

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS and CINAHL databases to 10 March 2023 for studies on oral health in people with systematic sclerosis. Study data were mapped into pre-specified domains of oral health-related quality of life, subtopics and types of research and reported in tabular form.

Of 1460 unique studies reviewed, 91 were eligible and included in the scoping review; of these, 69 (76%) were published as full-text versions, 72 (79%) were from Europe or North America, and 63 (69%) included ⩽50 participants. Only 1 study had >200 participants (N = 382). By domains, 85 (93%) studies reported aspects of oral manifestations or symptoms, with the most common subtopics being oral opening and mandibular function, sicca, periodontitis and soft tissue changes and pathology; 36 (40%) studies provided information on associated patient factors, 23 (25%) on self-care and management, 19 (21%) on psychosocial aspects and 6 (7%) on functional consequences. No studies related to interventions included >50 participants.

Most studies on oral health in systematic sclerosis report on manifestations or symptoms, and there are relatively few studies on other important domains. Most studies have been conducted with small samples. Updated systematic reviews should evaluate the quality of existing evidence in domains where enough studies have been done. Large, well-conducted primary studies are needed to address knowledge gaps across domains, including studies that test approaches for supporting oral self-care, improving routine professional care and addressing major disability-causing manifestations.