Background: Poor oral health status mayhave an impact on the health status of patients with chronic renal failure. Aim: To describe the oral health status of a group of Brazilian patients with chronic renal failure. Material and methods: Retrospective review of the medical records of patients with chronic renal failure, ofwhom 13 (4.5%) werein apre dialysis stage, 158 (55%) were on hemodialysis, 23 (8.4%) were on peritoneal dialysis and 92 (32.1%) were transplanted. General oral health, presence of dental calculus, and halitosis were recorded. The number of decayed, missed and filled teeth was analyzed by means of DMF-T (Decayed, Missed and Filled Teeth) índex. Resulte: The sample was composed of 152 men (53%) and 134 women (47%), aged 42±13 years. Oral health status was considered defective in most patients (83%). Eighty-seven percent had dental calculus and 55% had halitosis. Transplant patients reponed significantly less halitosis (40.2%) than the rest of the groups. The DMF-T for the whole population was 20.6 and had a positive correlation with age. Conclusions: This group of patients with chronic renal failure presented a poor oral health status. Dental treatment programs for these patients should be implemented to avoid the exposure to dentalpathogens