Association Between Periodontal Health and Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and

Objectives

This study is aimed at evaluating periodontal health in patients with psoriasis and investigating its impact on dermatology-specific and oral health-related quality of life. Materials and

Methods

A total of 226 individuals were enrolled, including 113 patients with clinically diagnosed psoriasis and 113 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The periodontal parameters recorded included plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Oral health-related quality of life was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), while dermatology-specific quality of life was evaluated with the Psoriasis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PQLQ). Psoriasis severity was measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI).

Results

Patients with psoriasis demonstrated significantly poorer periodontal parameters compared to controls, with higher PI (p = 0.006), PD (p = 0.001), and CAL (p = 0.041), as well as a lower number of teeth (p = 0.027). No significant differences in GI were observed (p = 0.331). Subdomain analysis of OHIP-14 indicated significantly greater functional limitation in the psoriasis group (p = 0.001), although no differences were detected in other domains. Positive and significant correlations were found among all the OHIP-14 subscales in both groups, and PQLQ scores were strongly correlated with OHIP-14 outcomes in the psoriasis group (p < 0.05). PASI scores tended to be higher among patients with periodontitis than those with gingivitis or periodontal health, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.257).

Conclusions

Psoriasis patients exhibited poorer periodontal status and reduced oral health-related quality of life compared to healthy individuals. However, differences in oral hygiene habits may also have contributed to these findings. Our findings suggest an association between psoriasis and impaired periodontal health, but due to the cross-sectional design, a causal relationship cannot be established.