Establishing an Association between Renal Failure and Periodontal Health: A Cross Sectional Study

Periodontal infections can act as focus of infection, aggravating the immunocompromised state of End Stage Renal Disease patients (ESRD).

Evaluation of the periodontal health status of ESRD patients undergoing haemodialysis and establishing the underlying association between renal failure and periodontal disease.

Eighty control and test subjects were included in the study, after matching age and sex. Creatinine and GFR were measured in each patient. Oral hygiene index- Simplified (OHI-S), Gingival Index (GI), Pocket Depth (PD) and Clinical Attachment Level (CAL) were recorded as periodontal parameters to assess the correlation between the subjects of the two groups. Further, the test group was divided into three sub-groups, on basis of duration, as less than 6 months, from 6 months to one year and more than one year.

Student's t - test and ANOVA were used to analyze the inter-group and intragroup comparisons.

Statistical significant difference was observed for all periodontal parameters between the test and control group. However, difference amongst periodontal parameters on basis of duration of haemodialysis was seen between the subgroups of test subjects, it was not found to be statistically significant.

Severity of periodontal diseases in ESRD patients undergoing haemodialysis majorly affected due to debilitating condition of the subjects. Dialysis vintage has only a small role to play in worsening of the condition. Further research is needed to potentiate the establishment of two-way relationship between renal disease and periodontal condition.