Seriously ill hospitalized patients whose teeth are brushed at least twice a day are much less likely to develop pneumonia, the most common hospital-acquired infection, a new analysis suggests.
The study, published online on December 18, 2023 by JAMA Internal Medicinereviewed 15 previous analyzes involving a total of nearly 2,800 patients. Fourteen studies were conducted in hospital intensive care units (ICUs), while 13 involved patients on ventilators. Patients whose teeth were brushed two or more times per day were 33% less likely to develop hospital-acquired pneumonia than those who did not follow a toothbrushing regimen. Patients whose teeth were brushed also needed ventilators for less time, were able to leave the intensive care unit more quickly, and were less likely to die in the intensive care unit than those without a toothbrushing regimen.
Since hospital-acquired pneumonia – which kills more people than any other healthcare-associated infection – is largely caused by inhaling germs from the mouth and throat, brushing your teeth can reduce its incidence by eradicating some of these germs, the study authors said.
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