Prosthetic status and treatment needs for lost masticatory function in haemodialysis patients

INTRODUCTION: Premature loss of permanent teeth leads to stomatognathic system disability. It is a very serious but underrated problem for patients with chronic renal failure. The aim of study was analyse the degree of loss of masticatory function and number of teeth present for haemodialysis patients, and to define patients’ needs for prosthetic treatment, which could restore correct occlusal condition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-nine haemodialysis patients treated at the Nephrology and Transplantology Clinic with the Dialysis Centre at the Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. We checked: 1) the total number of teeth and number of teeth separately for upper and lower jaws, 2) the existing prosthetic restorations and 3) the preserved masticatory function. RESULTS: More male than female patients were in possession of full dentition.All patients with at least 28 natural teeth with retained occlusal contacts whilst chewing were males (4; 10% males; 5.7% of the whole group). There were 15 edentulous patients: 7 males (10%) and 8 females (11.5%). Hundered percent of female patients presented with various degrees of tooth loss and needed prosthetic treatment. Nearly 70% of tested haemodialysis patients did not have a reconstructed masticatory function. CONCLUSIONS: The population of haemodialysis patients from the North East part of Poland are patients with severe stomatognathic system dysfunctions. It is of importance for dentists, as well as nephrologists, to understand the essence of the problem, as the general health of a patient cannot be improved without ensuring functional comfort of such as important system as the masticatory one.