Rheumatoid arthritis negatively affects oral hygiene performance due to what?

• A. Reduced dexterity
• B. Diminished salivary output
• C. Gingival overgrowth
• D. Candidiasis

Answer: (A)

Rheumatoid arthritis often affects the hands, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and sometimes finger deformities that reduce fine motor control. This diminished dexterity makes it hard to grasp a toothbrush, maneuver it with proper technique, and use floss with the right precision. Since effective oral hygiene depends on those precise hand movements, the most direct reason RA would impair oral hygiene performance is reduced dexterity.

Other mouth-related issues like less saliva, gingival overgrowth, or candidiasis can affect oral health, but they don’t explain the difficulty in performing cleaning tasks itself. Diminished salivary output changes lubrication and caries risk; gingival overgrowth and candidiasis are typically tied to medications or infections rather than the motor skills needed to brush and floss.