Daily tooth brushing may reduce the risk and severity of hospital-acquired pneumonia, especially in patients on mechanical ventilation. Review study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Nosocomial pneumonia is pneumonia that develops within 48 hours or more of a patient’s hospitalization. In a new study, scientists found that daily tooth brushing may reduce the risk of this life-threatening disease.
The authors combined and analyzed data from 15 studies involving more than 10,000 patients. They found that brushing teeth significantly reduced the risk of pneumonia and death in intensive care unit patients. Tooth brushing appeared to be most beneficial for patients on ventilators.
Additionally, tooth brushing was associated with reduced length of stay in the intensive care unit (mean difference 1.78 days). However, no relationship was found between tooth brushing and length of hospital stay or antibiotic use outside the intensive care unit.
Previous scientists to create Drugs that protect unvaccinated people from Covid-19.