The evaluation of oral and dental health in patients with chronic kidney disease

Aim: There are few studies evaluated the type of dialysis, laboratory findings, oral and dental health index together in patients with CRF, and their results are contradictory. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the type of dialysis, laboratory findings on oral and dental health index in patients with CRF Materials and Methods: 50 CRF on dialysis patients (24 hemodialysis, and 26 periton dialysis) in Inonu University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center and having complete hospital records for at least a year were included in the study. Patients' demographic data, duration of dialysis, etiology of renal disease and laboratory findings of the past year were recorded. The mean values of laboratory findings of present and,3, 6 and 12 months earlier were calculated and used for statistical analysis. In addition to detailed oral and dental examination, DMFT, MDEI and PDI index were evaluated. Results: There were no significant difference between hemodialysis and periton dialysis patients as regards to sex, age, education levels, marital status, occupations, monthly incomes and duration of dialysis (p>0.05). Mean PDI, MDEI and DMFT index for hemodialysis and periton dialysis patients were (0.12 ±0.23 vs. 0.05±0.14; 0.04±0.02 vs. 0.05±0.03 and 6.95±5.65 vs. 7.88±4.58) respectively and there were no significant differences between the groups (p>0.05). There were no significant difference between PDI and DMFT index with education levels, however compere to patients with high school and University degree, illiterate and primary school degree had higher MDEI scores (p=0.011). Bachelor had lower DMFT and MDEI indexes (p=0.04) (p=0.005) respectively. MDEI index were positively correlated with age (r=0.30, p=0.031) and negatively correlated with serum Fe level (r=-0.28, p=0.049), DMFT index was positively correlated with age (r=0.59, p=0.001), PDI index were positively correlated with Phosphor (r=0.37, p=0.007), BUN (r=0.32, p=0.02) and PCR levels (r=0.69, p=0.001). Conclusions: This study suggests that CRF has negative effect on oral and dental health, rather than the type of dialysis it is related to duration of dialysis, BUN, Fe, P and PCR levels. Age, being married or divorced, and low education level may have negative effect on oral and dental health in these patients.