Systemic Consequences of Poor Oral Health in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Changes in the oral cavity, such as periodontitis and other manifestations of poor oral health, are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may contribute to increased morbidity and mortality because of systemic consequences such as inflammation, infections, protein-energy wasting, and atherosclerotic complications. Poor oral health in CKD patients may thus represent an important, but often overlooked, problem. Several studies show that uremic patients have higher rates of decayed, missing, and filled teeth, loss of attachment, and periapical and mucosal lesions than the general population. The consequences of poor oral health may be more severe in CKD patients because of advanced age, common comorbidities such as diabetes, concurrent medications, and a state of immune dysfunction that may increase the risk for systemic consequences of periodontitis and other oral and dental pathologic conditions. Poor dentition and other signs of poor oral health should be an alarm clock also at early stages of CKD. However, it remains to be determined whether more successful management of poor oral health and periodontitis will reduce the risk of inflammation, infection, protein-energy wasting, and atherosclerotic complications in CKD patients. This review explores etiological factors and potential systemic consequences of poor oral health in CKD patients as well as possible preventive and therapeutic strategies. Clin J Am Sac Nephrol 6: 218-226, 2011. doi:10.2215/CJN.05470610