title: Role of saliva in the caries experience and calculus formation of young patients undergoing hemodialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to investigate the caries experience, periodontal status, oral hygiene habits, and salivary parameters of children and adolescents undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and to compare them with their healthy counterparts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two HD patients were matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and social class with 52 healthy subjects for analysis of the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth, plaque and gingival index, dental calculus accumulation, measurements of pocket depth, clinical attachment level, gingival recession, and bleeding on probing. Stimulated saliva samples were collected to assess salivary flow rate, pH and buffer capacity, and salivary concentrations of calcium, phosphate, and urea by colorimetric method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HD patients had lower dental caries (p = 0.004), greater plaque and calculus accumulation (p = 0.001), and reported flossing less often than the controls (p = 0.013). Regarding salivary analysis, HD patients showed significantly higher values of pH, buffer capacity, and salivary urea concentration when compared to the controls (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HD patients had lower caries experience, higher accumulation of dental plaque, and calculus deposition than their healthy counterparts, probably due to the differences found in their salivary biochemical parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant number of children and adolescents undergoing hemodialysis are candidates for kidney transplantation and should receive complete pre-transplant dental exams and dental treatment. Our results open the way for the development of an individualized dental protocol for these patients with preventive measures and treatment of the poor oral health in HD patients.
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. marciathomas13@gmail.com.|Cidade Universitária-Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Caixa, Postal 68066, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-971, Brazil. marciathomas13@gmail.com.
authors: Marcia Rejane Thomas Canabarro
authors: MR
authors: Andrade
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Sabrina Loren Almeida
authors: SL
authors: Salazar
authors: Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Goés, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Leandro Figueira Reis
authors: LF
authors: de Sá
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Maristela
authors: M
authors: Portela
authors: Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Goés, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Ferreira-Pereira
authors: Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Goés, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Rosangela Maria Araújo
authors: RM
authors: Soares
authors: Departament of Dental Clinic, Division of Graduate Periodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Anna Thereza Thomé
authors: AT
authors: Leão
authors: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Laura Guimarães
authors: LG
authors: Primo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D020792:Salivary Calculi / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism
keywords: Calculus; Child; Dental caries; Plaque index; Renal dialysis; Saliva