Investigation of the Impact of Endodontic Therapy on Survival among Dialysis Patients in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Objectives Dental problems occur widely in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may increase comorbidities. Root canal therapy (RCT) is a common procedure for advanced decayed caries with pulp inflammation and root canals. However, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are considered to have a higher risk of potentially life-threatening infections after treatment and might fail to receive satisfactory dental care such as RCT. We investigated whether appropriate intervention for dental problems had a potential impact among dialysis patients. Design Men and women who began maintenance dialysis (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis) between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2015, in Taiwan (total 12,454 patients) were enrolled in this study. Participants were followed up from the first reported dialysis date to the date of death or end of dialysis by December 31, 2015. Setting Data collection was conducted in Taiwan. Results A total of 2633 and 9821 patients were classified into the RCT and non-RCT groups, respectively. From the data of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance, a total of 5,092,734 teeth received RCT from 2000 to 2015. Then, a total of 12,454 patients were followed within the 16 years, and 4030 patients passed away. The results showed that members of the non-RCT group (34.93%) had a higher mortality rate than those of the RCT group (22.79%; p = 0.001). The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio for the risk of death was 0.69 (RCT vs. non-RCT; p = 0.001). Conclusions This study suggested that patients who had received RCT had a relatively lower risk of death among dialysis patients. Infectious diseases had a significant role in mortality among dialysis patients with non-RCT. Appropriate interventions for dental problems may increase survival among dialysis patients. Abbreviations: CKD = chronic kidney disease, ESRD = end-stage renal disease, RCT = root canal therapy.