Benefits of brushing your teeth to prevent pneumonia
Last reviewed: 07.06.2024
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Regular brushing of teeth reduces the risk of developing in-hospital pneumonia in patients staying in intensive care units by at least 1/3. Such interesting information was announced by medical experts from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Health Institute.
Intrahospital pneumonia is a not uncommon and extremely dangerous infectious disease associated with hospitalization. Particularly susceptible to infection are immunocompromised patients or patients connected to a ventilator. No effective prevention criteria are currently known.
A group of American specialists initiated a full systematic review and studied a dozen and a half different randomized projects. Case histories and clinical observations of more than 2,700 patients were reviewed. Comparative characteristics were performed, which took into account the frequency and quality of dental and oral care, episodes and frequency of in-hospital infections, and other inpatient care of study participants.
Thanks to the experiment, it was possible to find out: regular cleaning of teeth correlated with a clearly lower risk of intrahospital infection (by more than 30%). At the same time, the incidence of fatalities in patients treated in intensive care clinics was almost 20% lower, especially in patients connected to ventilators.
In addition, the researchers found that cleaning the mouth and teeth of patients staying in intensive care units helped to reduce the period during which artificial ventilation was required, as well as the duration of treatment in the intensive care clinic. The experts emphasize that routine cleaning of the teeth in the morning and evening was sufficient to effectively prevent in-hospital infection.
Scientists believe that this experiment only strengthens the established opinion about the importance of regular hygiene procedures, including for patients undergoing inpatient treatment. Indeed, brushing teeth is not just an everyday ritual to eliminate bad odor, prevent the development of dental problems and gum disease, remove food debris and deposits on the enamel. It is a proven effective way to fight many diseases that can affect not only the oral cavity. Every day, both healthy and sick people should brush their teeth, including those who are on a ventilator.
To read more about the scientists' report, visit the JAMA Network's journal page at