Dental work-up protocol of chronic kidney disease patients undergoing kidney transplant surgery - a retrospective...

Pre-transplant dental clearance is commonly recommended for kidney transplant candidates, although standardized protocols are lacking and supporting evidence remains limited. The aim of this study was to analyze the dental work-up protocol, treatment needs, complications, and time to clearance in patients undergoing kidney transplantation at a tertiary care center.

A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients referred by their attending nephrologist for pre-transplant dental evaluation between 2019 and 2024. Demographic, medical, and dental data were collected, including DMFT index, type and number of procedures performed, complications, and time required to obtain dental clearance.

Seventy-four patients (median age 41 years) were included. The median DMFT index was 13.5 (range 0-28). Supragingival instrumentation was performed in 39.2% of patients, and tooth extraction in 27%, with 62 teeth removed overall. Endodontic treatment was completed in 9.5% of patients. Two postoperative complications (2.7%) were recorded and managed conservatively. Most patients (67.6%) achieved dental clearance in a single visit, and the median time to clearance was 1 day (range 1-45).

Within the limitations of this single-center retrospective study, pre-transplant dental clearance was feasible, safe, and completed without evidence of clinically meaningful delay in the transplant preparation process.