Purpose: To determine a possible relationship between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Method: The prevalence of periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis was evaluated on 108 patients, divided into 3 groups: one with 40 patients affected with periodontal disease, a second one with 32 patients without periodontal disease, and a third one, including 36 patients with rheumatoid disease. Results: Clinical and radiographic evaluation revealed that the patients with periodontal disease showed a higher percentage of rheumatic disease than those without periodontal disease (5.16% vs 2.34%). Conclusions: People with moderate to severe periodontal disease have a higher risk of being affected with rheumatoid arthritis and vice versa.