Staying Healthy
Toothbrushing can be a literal lifesaver in the hospital
In the journals
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Regular toothbrushing can help save hospital patients' lives during their stays in intensive care units (ICUs), according to a Harvard study published online Dec. 18, 2023, by JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers combined the results of 15 randomized clinical trials that included about 2,800 ICU patients and found that twice-a-day toothbrushing was associated with lower rates of death compared with not regularly brushing.
Patients who had their teeth brushed daily also had shorter ICU stays and spent less time on a mechanical ventilator. (Since ICU patients are often unable to brush on their own, toothbrushing was done by the hospital care team.) The reason? Regular toothbrushing appears to protect ICU patients from getting pneumonia, the most common ICU-acquired infection, according to the researchers. While the trials did not focus on non-ICU patients, the researchers added that regular toothbrushing might offer similar protection from pneumonia during regular hospital stays, but more research is needed.
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About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
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