Oral Health in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Literature Review

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is becoming an important public health issue worldwide, is a broad term used to describe progressive structural and functional kidney disorders that may be accompanied by a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and that have lasted for at least 3 months. The reason for concern about patients with CKD stems from the impairment in everyday functioning caused by this disease, as well as from the complexity of treatment needed in these cases. Contemporary literature indicates that there are several oral health-related symptoms that may be associated with CKD and, therefore, it may be the dental practitioner who refers the patient for comprehensive specialist care in the earlier stages of the disease. The aim of the article is to present a concise literature review concerning the symptoms in the oral cavity that may be associated with CKD. The authors discussed the occurrence of characteristic features in dental hard tissues, the periodontium, and oral mucosa. It can be established on the basis of the literature that some characteristic features in the dental clinical picture may be observed in these patients, and that dental clinicians should be made aware of this fact