Objective To evaluate the impact of oral health on the quality of life of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) before kidney transplantation. Methods This is an observational, cross‐sectional, analytical, and descriptive study involving patients with CKD prior to kidney transplantation. Patients underwent oral health assessment and responded to the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14), in addition to other data being collected. Results Most patients had a high rate of decayed and missing teeth, with a mean DMFT of 15.33 ± 9.37. Periodontal alterations (altered CPI) were present in 42.5% of the sample. Regarding awareness, 68.8% were uninformed about the need for dental care before transplantation. The overall OHRQoL was generally positive (median OHIP‐14 = 1.00; IQR = 5.00). However, significant differences were found between OHIP‐14 domains ( p < 0.001), with impacts concentrated in psychological disability and physical pain. Worse OHRQoL scores were significantly associated with lower educational level ( p = 0.020) and being on renal replacement therapy ( p = 0.030). Conclusion Patients awaiting kidney transplantation present a high burden of oral disease but maintain a paradoxically positive perception of their oral health‐related quality of life. This perception is primarily impaired by physical pain and psychological factors, such as embarrassment. The findings highlight the need for early and systematic inclusion of dental care in the multidisciplinary management of CKD, prioritizing patients with lower education and those on dialysis to mitigate clinical risks and improve psychosocial well‐being.
CARVALHO et al. (Thu,) studied this question.