This petition is intended to give you a brief summary of Sjögren’s syndrome, associated oral manifestations and justification of the need for dental care.

Sjögren’s syndrome is a systemic immune mediated disease of exocrine tissues, such as salivary and lacrimal glands resulting in oral and ocular dryness. The oral manifestations of Sjögren’s syndrome include reduced quantity and quality of saliva, increased incidence of caries, dental decay and loss of teeth, mucosal atrophy, salivary gland enlargement, recurrent parotitis, and greater frequency of candidiasis and other infections.

Even though some medications stimulate saliva secretion, such as cevimeline (Evoxac™) and pilocarpine (Salagen™) the mainstay in the treatment of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome is dental care.

Patients suffering from Sjögren’s syndrome require meticulous dentist-guided care, such as frequent visits to a dentist and prescription strength fluoride, to prevent and treat any complications associated with the disease.

The complexity of the Sjögren’s syndrome requires multidisciplinary care by dentist, ophthalmologist, rheumatologist and primary care provider.