Oral Health Status and Oral Hygiene Habits of an Adult Turkish Population on Dialysis

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the oral health status and oral hygiene habits of dialysis patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 145 patients on dialysis were evaluated in two centres. Evaluation included oral examination of soft and hard tissues and completion of a questionnaire that was used to gather information about demographic, socioeconomic, medical and dental status and oral hygiene attitudes of patients. Awareness of the importance of oral health was also determined by four yes/no questions within this questionnaire. Results: Of the 145 patients, 89 (61.4%) were presently candidates for renal transplantation. Nineteen patients (13.1%) were edentulous and nearly half of the patients (n = 69, 47.6%) had 15 or fewer remaining teeth. Dentate patients who regularly brushed twice a day and flossed were few (n = 18, 14.3%; n = 3, 2.4%, respectively). In addition, plaque score was more than 50% in most of the dentate patients (93.7%). Gingival bleeding was reported by about two thirds of dentate patients (67.5%). None of the patients were referred to a dentist or were attending regular dental care. The percentage of patients who were aware of oral cavity-related infections and importance of oral hygiene following renal transplantation was very low (20.7% and 9.7%, respectively). Conclusions: Poor oral health, unsatisfactory daily oral hygiene habits and insufficient awareness of the importance of oral health is frequent among Turkish dialysis patients. Dentists and nephrologists should work in close cooperation in order to raise awareness and encourage regular dental controls. Keywords: chronic renal failure, dialysis, oral health