The Effect of Hemodialysis Duration on Periodontal and Dental Health Conditions

Background and Objective: Recently, periodontal disease is considered as a risk factor for chronic renal disease in addition to well- established common risk factors such as level of education, and extent of access to medical health services. Since oral health problems can jeopardize the general health of patients with renal failure, this study was conducted with the purpose of evaluating the effect of dialysis duration on periodontal and dental indices. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, ۶۵ patients under hemodialysis were examined in terms of periodontal and dental indices including: gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), pocket depth (PD), and decayed, missing and filled teeth index (DMFT). Patients were classified into two subgroups: receiving hemodialysis ≤ ۳ years or more than ۳ years. Chi-square test (in case of qualitative variables) and t-test (in case of quantitative variables) were used to analyze the data between the two groups. Results: All of periodontal indices were deteriorated in patients under long-term hemodialysis, and the difference between the two groups was significant (p<۰.۰۵). However, DMFT index did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Periodontal health is poor and imperfect in patients with hemodialysis of long duration. Therefore, dental preventive measures along with medical treatment are recommended.