Oral care reduces pneumonia in older patients

Abstract

The present study was performed with older patients in 11 nursing homes in Japan. In total, 417 patients were randomly assigned to an ‘oral care’ group or a ‘no oral care’ group and were investigated for 2 years. Patients receiving oral care had fewer febrile days than did patients not receiving oral care. It was also found that the risk of pneumonia in patients in a long‐term care facility, followed up for 2 years, was significantly reduced in patients receiving oral care. The removal of latent oral infection and potential problems might be a way to reduce the incidence of lower respiratory tract infection. In light of the central importance of oral health to an older patient's overall well‐being, it is essential that all health providers support and advocate the expansion of oral health benefits for older adults, dentate or edentate.