Aim: Describe the oral condition of chronic renal failure and healthy subjects, and the relationship between oral variables, chronic renal failure (CRF) conditions, and their treatment.
Materials and methods: Four renal failure groups: chronic renal disease (n=22); undergoing dialysis (n=22); after dialysis and transplant (n=21); and after transplant (n=32), and a healthy control (n=38) were examined. Caries, enamel hypoplasia, pulp obliteration, plaque index, gingival bleeding, recession, overgrowth and index, probing depths, attachment loss, renal treatments and their relations with the oral variables were analysed.
Results: The renal failure groups had higher gingival index (GI) and bleeding, probing depths, attachment loss, hypoplasia and obliteration and less caries, than the control. Plaque was higher in the dialysis and pre-dialysis (PD) groups. Overgrowth was evident after transplant. The PD group showed lower GI than other renal groups. Dialysis duration and end-stage renal failure significantly correlated with gingivitis, probing depth, attachment loss and enamel hypoplasia. Immuran correlated positively with probing depth, gingival recession and attachment loss. Normiten and Nifedipine had positive correlations with gingival overgrowth.
Conclusions: CRF patients are characterized by pulp obliteration, gingival and periodontal diseases. Duration of end stage renal failure and type of systemic treatment have a significant influence on the oral condition.