Renal hemodialysis patients: oral, salivary, dental and periodontal findings in 105 adult cases

OBJECTIVES: A study of the dental, periodontal, oral mucosal and salivary c ondition of adult patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) receiving hemod ialysis (HD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 105 patients on HD were studied, together with 53 healthy age and sex-matched controls. Indices employed included car ious, absent and obturated teeth index (CAO index), plaque index, calculus index and loss of periodontal attachment. Whole and parotid salivary secret ions were also measured. RESULTS: The CAO index was not significantly higher among HD patients than controls (14.9 +/- 8.7 vs 13.3 +/- 7.9, respectively; t = 1.1; P = 0.3). Ho wever, plaque and calculus indices were significantly higher in HD patients (2.1 +/- 0.8 and 2.3 +/- 0.6, respectively) than controls (1.3 +/- 0.8 and 1.6 +/- 0.9) (P < 0.001). Loss of periodontal attachment was similar in bo th groups (4.9 +/- 2.5 vs 4.2 +/- 2.5 in the HD patients and controls, resp ectively) (t = 1.8; P = 0.07). There was no more oral mucosal pathology in HD patients than in controls (chi-square = 5.8; P = 0.3). Stimulated saliva ry secretion was significantly higher in controls than HD patients for both whole (t = -5.2; P < 0.001) and parotid (t = -2.6; P = 0.01) salivas. CONCLUSIONS: The results show significantly higher plaque and calculus indi ces and lower salivary secretion among the HD patients than in healthy cont rols.