One of the many little nagging things that plague me as a result of kidney failure is bad breath. I do all the right things having to do with my teeth and mouth. I have my teeth cleaned three times a year and see the dentist like clockwork. I floss and brush every night without fail. Still, my wife informs me constantly that I have bad breath and to go brush my teeth. This leads to me wonder what the correlation is between being on peritoneal dialysis and bad breath. I quizzed Perxiplity about this with the following results:
There is a correlation between peritoneal dialysis (PD) and bad breath, also known as halitosis, in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Studies have shown that high blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and low salivary flow rates are associated with halitosis. Peritoneal dialysis can help decrease the level of halitosis by reducing BUN levels and increasing salivary flow rates over time[1][3][5].
Chronic renal failure, which leads to a buildup of waste in the blood (uremia), can result in halitosis. This condition is often described as having an ammonia-like odor, and it is one of the non-oral causes of bad breath in patients with kidney disease[4][5]. Additionally, oral health issues such as dry mouth and changes in taste are common in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis, particularly those with diabetes[2].
Overall, while peritoneal dialysis can help reduce halitosis, the presence of bad breath may still occur due to underlying renal issues or other oral health conditions.
Citations:
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20338971/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3525369/
[3] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3747/pdi.2009.00089
[4] https://southgablesdental.com/what-your-kidneys-and-bad-breath-have-in-common/
[5] https://www.ejgm.co.uk/download/comparison-of-systemic-oral-malodor-in-patients-undergoing-hemodialysis-and-peritoneal-dialysis-7176.pdf
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