The periodontal health component of the Renal Impairment In Secondary Care (RIISC) cohort study: a description of the rationale, methodology and initial baseline results.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There is a need to identify novel and modifiable risk factors in such patients. The periodontal component of the Renal Impairment In Secondary Care (RIISC) study aims to evaluate the association between chronic periodontitis and CKD progression. METHODS: The RIISC study is a prospective, observational cohort study of patients with CKD from a renal clinic at a hospital in the West Midlands region of the UK. Patients undergo a periodontal examination and plaque and saliva sampling. To benchmark the oral health status of the RIISC cohort, we compared it to the Adult Dental Health Survey 2009 (ADHS), a representative survey of the oral health of community dwelling adults in the UK. RESULTS: Of the first 500 patients recruited into the RIISC study, 469 patients underwent a dental examination and 80 (17%) were edentulous. Among dentate subjects, patients within RIISC were significantly more likely to have any (OR 4.0 95% CI 2.7-5.9) or severe (OR 3.8 95% CI 2.5-5.6) periodontitis compared to the ADHS sample. CONCLUSION: The prevalence and severity of chronic periodontitis in this cohort of CKD patients is markedly higher than a geographically matched control population.

A study to assess management of patients on warfarin by general dental practitioners (GDPs) in the West Midlands.

UNLABELLED: Current management protocols for anticoagulated patients undergoing dental procedures are influenced by evidence-based guidelines. These guidelines state that the risk of significant bleeding is low in patients who have a stable INR within a therapeutic range, (2-4). The risks of interruption of anticoagulant therapy is greater than the risk of bleeding. This paper discusses the current practice of general dental practitioners (GDPs) in the West Midlands when treating patients taking warfarin and compares these findings with standard guidelines. A questionnaire was sent to 638 GDPs in West Midlands in 2010, 492 (77%) were returned. This study was carried out three years after a similar study carried out in South West Wales and after the guidance updated by the BNF and NMWIC. Thirty-three (7%) of the respondents did not treat patients on warfarin. The majority of respondents (86%) considered that a dental extraction in a patient on warfarin is a procedure associated with a high risk of bleeding. Surgical implant placement (75%), subgingival debridement (49%) and inferior dental block (40%) administration were also considered by GDPs to be associated with a high risk of bleeding.The majority (88%) of the respondents check the INR of anticoagulated patients before carrying out treatment. Of these, 244 (52%) would do so within 24 hours and 78 (17%) of them within 72 hours. Only 117 (25%) considered 4.0 as the safe upper limit for the INR for performing high-risk procedures. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings of this study demonstrate that there is general awareness about how to manage patients on warfarin but uncertainties still exist among general dental practitioners. Further education and training would improve the care of patients on warfarin in a primary care setting.