Multiple sclerosis is chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with potential autoimmune basis. Increased caries incidence, facial neuralgias and temporomandibular joint disorders may occur in dental examination of patients with multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, the medications used in MS therapy can cause many side effects in the oral cavity, for example xerostomia, gingival hyperplasia, mucositis and candidiasis. In blood and saliva of patients with multiple sclerosis increased levels of markers of oxidative stress (such as TAC, TBARS, AGEs, AOPP, FRAP/FRAS) are observed — it suggests the possibility of using saliva in non‑invasive control of MS therapy. Reduced antioxidant capacity of saliva is also a pathogenetic factor of periodontal diseases. Moreover, it may be a significant influence of the polymorphism of the apolipoprotein E genotype, which plays an important role both in the etiology of multiple sclerosis and periodontal diseases (however further studies of this association are recommended). Due to the variety of therapeutic needs and their relation to the general course of the disease, patients with multiple sclerosis require special dental care.

Key words: multiple sclerosis, temporomandibular joint disorders, xerostomia, oxidative stress, apolipoprotein E, periodontal diseases.