Oral Health

Evidence that links Oral Health to Overall Health

Oral Health and Overall Health

Regularly scheduled oral evaluations are an extremely important part of your overall healthcare. There are several reasons this is true.

First, oral exams allow your dentist to monitor your oral and overall health for emerging problems that you may not see or feel. These may be dental conditions, like tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontal disease, or emerging medical conditions that have oral manifestations, like oral cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and even some other cancers of the body. During a dental evaluation, your dentist may recognize these oral manifestations and refer you to a healthcare professional for evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment.

Second, many health conditions, medications, and treatments can negatively impact your oral health. It is important to understand which conditions, medications, and treatments can put your oral health at risk. Through regular dental visits, you can better manage these risks.

Third, dental disease, most notably periodontal disease, has been linked to a broad spectrum of health conditions. The following are recent studies that are beginning to clarify the nature of the oral-systemic connection.

Last update: 9/16/22

Topic	Title and Link	Brief Description	Journal	Date
General	Periodontitis is associated with an increased hazard of mortality in a longitudinal cohort study over 50 years	Time-varying periodontal status assessed using radiographic alveolar bone loss (ABL) was positively associated with all-cause mortality even after confounder adjustment.	Journal of Clinical Periodontology	2022
	Association Between Preventive Dental Care and Healthcare Cost for Enrollees With Diabetes or Coronary Artery Disease: 5-Year Experience	Preventive dental care is strongly associated with significant savings for diabetes and CAD patients, and such savings were highest for diabetes + CAD patients, followed by patients with only CAD and only diabetes. Most of these savings originated in costs associated with inpatient admissions, which were between 25% and 36% for all disease classifications for all years.	Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry	2022
	ARTICLE: Maintaining Oral Health Is Essential to Well-Being	Maintaining oral health is essential to general health and well-being. Oral conditions affect more than just the mouth and teeth. Poor oral health increases the risk of developing chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.	Pharmacy Times	2022
	Burden of chronic diseases associated with periodontal diseases: a retrospective cohort study using UK primary care data	In this cohort, periodontal diseases appeared to be associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, autoimmune diseases and mental ill health. Periodontal diseases are very common; therefore, an increased risk of other chronic diseases represent a substantial public health burden.	BMJ Journals	2021
	Human variation in gingival inflammation Article: Study reveals new aspects of gingivitis and the body’s response	Sheds important new light on why some people may be more prone to serious conditions that lead to tooth loss and other problems.	PNAS	2021
	Dental Services and Health Outcomes in the New York State Medicaid Program	Observed that accessing preventive dental care by a large cohort of publicly insured individuals in New York State was associated with better health care outcomes, most notably for the rates and costs of inpatient admissions.	Journal of Dental Research	2021
	Periodontal Inflammation Primes the Systemic Innate Immune Response	Provides clinical rationale for perio-systemic disease links	Journal of Dental Research	2020
	Current Knowledge on Correlations Between Highly Prevalent Dental Conditions and Chronic Diseases: An Umbrella Review	Provides support of correlative; not causative perio-systemic links	CDC – Systematic Review (Volume 16)	2019
Diabetes	type 1 diabetes mellitus negatively affects tooth enamel and dentine microhardness: An in-vivo study	T1DM negatively affected enamel and dentine microhardness, and enamel was influenced much more negatively and rapidly compared with dentine in diabetic groups.	Archives of Oral Biology	2022
	Association Between Preventive Dental Care and Healthcare Cost for Enrollees With Diabetes or Coronary Artery Disease: 5-Year Experience	Preventive dental care is strongly associated with significant savings for diabetes and CAD patients, and such savings were highest for diabetes + CAD patients, followed by patients with only CAD and only diabetes.	Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry	2022
	Association between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and tooth loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis	The findings suggest that T2D is associated with increased risk of tooth loss.	BMC Endocrine Disorders	2022
	Associations of oral hygiene with incident hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A population based cohort study in Southwest China	Frequent tooth brushing was associated with reduced risks of incident hypertension and T2DM. Tooth brushing at least twice a day may prevent future hypertension and T2DM events.	Journal of Hypertension	2022
	Number of teeth and masticatory function are associated with sarcopenia and diabetes mellitus status among community-dwelling older adults: A Shimane CoHRE study	Findings suggest that improvement in oral health, including the maintenance of masticatory function and remaining teeth, may contribute to the prevention of sarcopenia and diabetes mellitus in older adults.	PLOS One	2021
	The risk of tooth loss in patients with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis	There is moderate certainty for a small but significantly higher risk of tooth loss in Diabetes patients as compared to those without Diabetes.	International Journal of Dental Hygiene	2021
	Effect of Diabetes on Rotary Instrumentation of Dentin	Diabetes mellitus may affect the physical and mechanical properties of dentin, which could potentially have an impact on root canal procedures.	Journal of Endodontics	2021
	Implementation of an Oral Care Protocol for Primary Diabetes Care: A Pilot Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial	Implementation of an oral care protocol in primary diabetes care improved oral health–related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes	Annals of Family Medicine	2021
	Improved oral hygiene is associated with decreased risk of new-onset diabetes: a nationwide population-based cohort study	Provides evidence that oral hygiene reduces new onset T2D	Springer Verlag	2020
	Does diabetes increase the risk of periodontitis? A systematic review and meta-regression analysis of longitudinal prospective studies	Provides evidence that diabetes increases perio risk	National Library of Medicine	2018
	The effect of periodontal therapy on glycemic control and fasting plasma glucose level in type 2 diabetic patients	In this systematic review and meta-analysis, there is a significant reduction of Glycated hemoglobin and Fasting plasma glucose level on type 2 diabetic and periodontal patients with non-surgical periodontal therapy.	BMC Oral Health	2016
	Evidence that periodontal treatment improves diabetes outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.	Supporting evidence that perio treatment improves T2D control	Journal of Clinical Periodontology	2013
	Effect of periodontal disease on diabetes: systematic review of epidemiologic observational evidence	Provides evidence to suggest that perio disease adversely affects diabetes outcomes	Journal of Clinical Periodontology	2013
Cardiovascular disease	Periodontal Status, C-Reactive Protein, NT-proBNP, and Incident Heart Failure: The ARIC Study	Periodontal status was associated with incident heart failure, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, as well as unfavorable changes in C-reactive protein and congestion.	JACC: Heart Failure	2022
	Association Between Preventive Dental Care and Healthcare Cost for Enrollees With Diabetes or Coronary Artery Disease: 5-Year Experience	Preventive dental care is strongly associated with significant savings for diabetes and CAD patients, and such savings were highest for diabetes + CAD patients, followed by patients with only CAD and only diabetes.	Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry	2022
	Association between periodontal care and hospitalization with acute myocardial infarction	We found that periodontal care was associated with more after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) visits. This suggests that there is a benefit to incorporating oral health care and medical care to improve AMI outcomes.	Journal of the American Dental Association	2022
	ARTICLE: Periodontal disease diagnosis tied to CVD risk	Adults with a recorded diagnosis of a periodontal disease, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are more likely to develop CVD and other chronic diseases compared with patients without a diagnosis.	Healio	2022
	Oral Microbiome Is Associated With Incident Hypertension Among Postmenopausal Women	Study concluded that specific oral bacteria are associated with baseline blood pressure status and risk of hypertension development among postmenopausal women.	Journal of the American Heart Association	2022
	Associations of oral hygiene with incident hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A population based cohort study in Southwest China	Frequent tooth brushing was associated with reduced risks of incident hypertension and T2DM. Tooth brushing at least twice a day may prevent future hypertension and T2DM events.	Journal of Hypertension	2022
	ARTICLE: Intensive Dental Care on Shaky Footing for Cardiovascular Prevention	Intensive gum disease treatment failed as a measure of secondary prevention for stroke survivors in the "stroke belt" of the U.S., a randomized study found.	PREMIERS	2022
	Burden of chronic diseases associated with periodontal diseases: a retrospective cohort study using UK primary care data	In this cohort, periodontal diseases appeared to be associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, autoimmune diseases and mental ill health.	BMJ Open	2022
	Severe Periodontal Disease Increases Acute Myocardial Infarction and Stroke: A 10-Year Retrospective Follow-up Study	This study aimed to evaluate the causal association of periodontal disease with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke, after controlling for various confounders among the Korean population. Our data confirmed that severe periodontal disease was causally associated with the new events of AMI and stroke.	Journal of Dental Research	2021
	Pre-cardiac dental treatment does not increase the risk of adverse events	The results of this study suggest that elimination of oral infection prior to cardiovascular surgery does not increase the risk of morbidity or mortality.	Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	2021
	Oral Bacterial Signatures in Cerebral Thrombi of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Thrombectomy Articles: · AHA News: How Oral Health May Affect Your Heart, Brain and Risk of Death · Dental cavities can raise risk of heart disease, stroke, according to scientists	Streptococcal bacteria, mostly of oral origin, may contribute to the progression and thrombotic events of cerebrovascular diseases.	Journal of the American Heart Association	2021
	Periodontal Disease, Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke	Those who kept up with routine dental care had lower risks of atrial fibrillation than those who only went to the dentist when they experienced discomfort or needed dental work or who failed to keep a regular appointment schedule	American Heart Journal	2021
	Association Between Periodontitis and Blood Pressure Highlighted in Systemically Healthy Individuals	Study aimed to investigate the relationship between periodontitis and mean arterial blood pressure in a sample of otherwise systemically healthy individuals.	Hypertension	2021
	Associations of Antibodies Targeting Periodontal Pathogens with Subclinical Coronary, Carotid, and Peripheral Arterial Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis	Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have elevated rates of perio and cardiovascular disease, suggesting that their immune responses to gum disease bacteria may be linked to higher heart disease risk.	Arthritis and Rheumatology	2020
	Abstract P441: Dental Caries a Risk Factor for Intracerebral Hemorrhage	Reports a significant association between dental caries and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).	Stroke	2021
	Periodontitis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: consensus report of the Joint EFP/AAP Workshop on Periodontitis and Systemic Diseases.	Provides consistent and strong epidemiologic evidence that periodontitis increased risk for future cardiovascular disease	Journal of Clinical Periodontology	2013
Pregnancy	Adverse pregnancy outcomes and periodontitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis exploring potential association.	Systematic review supports a low but existing association between perio and adverse pregnancy outcomes	National Library of Medicine	2016
	Oral Health in Pregnancy	In this article we describe the importance of the recognition, prevention, and treatment of oral health problems in pregnant women.	Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing (JOGNN)	2016
	Periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcomes: consensus report of the Joint EFP/AAP Workshop on Periodontitis and Systemic Diseases.	Aims to assess epidemiological evidence for the impact of perio disease on adverse pregnancy outcomes and identify potential underlying mechanisms.	Journal of Clinical Periodontology	2013

Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia	Periodontal health, cognitive decline, and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies	Poor periodontal health and tooth loss appear to increase the risk of both cognitive decline and dementia. However, the available evidence is limited to draw firm conclusions.	Journal of the American Geriatrics Society	2022
	Association of periodontitis and oral microbiomes with Alzheimer’s disease: A narrative systematic review	This review suggests that periodontal infection is associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. The contributing microbiome remains unconfirmed, possibly because of different microbiome sampling sites or methods.	Journal of Dental Sciences	2022
	The Periodontal Pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum Exacerbates Alzheimer’s Pathogenesis via Specific Pathways	The findings provide a theoretical basis for the study of the relationship between F. nucleatum and AD and lay a preliminary foundation for further exploring the mechanism of F. nucleatum impact on the onset and development of Alzheimer’s Disease	Frontiers	2022
	Dose-Response Meta-Analysis on Tooth Loss With the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia	Moderate-quality evidence suggested tooth loss was independently associated with cognitive impairment and dementia; risk of diminished cognitive function increased with incremental numbers of teeth lost. Further, timely prosthodontic treatment with dentures may reduce the progression of cognitive decline related to tooth loss.	Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine	2021
	Obstructive sleep apnea treatment and dementia risk in older adults	PAP treatment and adherence are independently associated with lower odds of incident AD diagnoses in older adults. Results suggest that treatment of OSA may reduce the risk of subsequent dementia.	Sleep	2021
	Association between number of teeth and Alzheimer’s disease using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan	The results of the present study using Japanese dental claims data showed that older people visiting dental offices with fewer teeth present and a greater number of missing teeth are more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease.	PLOS One	2021
	Periodontal dysbiosis associates with reduced CSF Aβ42 in cognitively normal elderly	To our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between subgingival periodontal bacteria and CSF biomarkers of AD pathology in cognitively normal elderly people. We found that subgingival periodontal dysbiosis characterized by increases in periodontal‐associated bacteria and decreases in health‐related bacteria associated with reduced CSF Aβ42 but not with CSF P‐tau.	Alzheimer’s Association	2021
	Periodontal disease and incident dementia: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC)	Supports a modest association between perio disease and incidence of mild cognitive impairment and dementia	Neurology – American Academy of Neurology	2020
	Clinical and Bacterial Markers of Periodontitis and Their Association with Incident All-Cause and Alzheimer's Disease Dementia in a Large National Survey	This study provides evidence for an association between periodontal pathogens and AD, which was stronger for older adults.	Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease	2020
	Porphyromonas gingivalis in Alzheimer’s disease brains: Evidence for disease causation and treatment with small-molecule inhibitors	Evaluates the mechanisms underlying the potential link between perio disease and Alzheimer’s disease	Science Advances -- American Assoc for the Advancement of Science	2019
	Association between Periodontitis and Alzheimer's Disease	Evaluates the potential link between perio disease and Alzheimer’s disease with goal of identifying novel mechanisms and interventional strategies to improve patient outcomes	NIH – US Library of Medicine	2015
Osteoporosis	The Association between Bone Mineral Density and Periodontal Disease in Middle-Aged Adults	Low bone mass was associated with the risk of Periodontal Disease among young adults	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health	2021
	Oral implications of osteoporosis	Evidence from (97) prospective studies supports the contention that individuals with osteoporosis may be at increased risk for the manifestations of oral osteoporosis; however, such risk is not definitively proven.	Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology	2005
Kidney Disease	Periodontal Disease and Incident CKD in US Hispanics/Latinos: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Article: Periodontal disease linked to kidney function decline in Hispanic, Latino patients	Found that select measures of periodontal disease were associated with incident low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)	Kidney Medicine	2021
	Oral conditions in renal disorders and treatment considerations – A review for pediatric dentists	This article reviews the current understanding of the oral and dental aspects of chronic renal disease (CRD).	The Saudi Dental Journal	2015
Psoriasis	Psoriasis Patients Suffer From Worse Periodontal Status—A Meta-Analysis	The aim of this meta-analysis was to quantitatively evaluate whether the periodontal status of psoriasis patients is worse than that of nonpsoriasis subjects.	Frontiers in Medicine	2019
Anxiety and Depression	Burden of chronic diseases associated with periodontal diseases: a retrospective cohort study using UK primary care data	In this cohort, periodontal diseases appeared to be associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, autoimmune diseases and mental ill health.	BMJ Open	2022
	Institutionalized old people, depressive disorders, and dental issues: what is the state of the art?	The present study identified that there is a communication between some oral health conditions (xerostomia and tooth loss) and the prevalence of depressive disorders in institutionalized old people.	SciFlo Brazil	2021
	Relationship between cognitive impairment and oral health: results of the Health 2000 Health Examination Survey in Finland	Cognitively impaired subjects among older adults in Finland have more carious teeth, are more often edentulous without using a denture, and have poorer denture hygiene than cognitively healthy persons.	Taylor and Francis Online	2021
	Relationship between chronic gingivitis and subsequent depression in 13,088 patients followed in general practices	There was a positive and significant association between chronic gingivitis and depression in the overall sample. These findings were corroborated in men and women and in all age groups except patients 65+ years.	Journal of Psychiatric Research	2021
	Oral health condition and occurrence of depression in the elderly	The results of our study have shown that among people aged 65 and over, the severity of depression increases with a higher number of missing teeth, the number of decayed teeth, as well as prevalence of oral dryness.	Medicine	2018
Arthritis	Dental Amalgams and the Incidence Rate of Arthritis among American Adults Articles: · New Research Links Dental Amalgam Mercury Fillings To Arthritis	This hypothesis-testing study evaluated the relationship between mercury (Hg)-based dental amalgams and arthritis diagnoses among US adults. A significant association between dental amalgam filling surface (DAFS) and arthritis risk and a dose-dependent DAFS associated immune-stimulation / immune-suppression with arthritis risk were observed.	Clinical Medicine Insights: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders	2021
	The oral microbiome in early rheumatoid arthritis patients and individuals at risk differs from healthy controls Articles · Do bacteria in the mouth affect arthritis risk? · Oral Microbiome Linked to Onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis	The results show similarities in the oral microbiome between ERA patients and at-risk individuals, both presenting with increased relative abundance of potentially pro-inflammatory species compared to healthy controls, suggesting a possible association between the oral microbiome and RA onset.	Arthritis Rheumatol	2021
	Associations of Antibodies Targeting Periodontal Pathogens with Subclinical Coronary, Carotid, and Peripheral Arterial Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis	Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have elevated rates of periodontal and cardiovascular disease, suggesting that their immune responses to gum disease bacteria may be linked to higher heart disease risk.	Arthritis and Rheumatology	2020
	Periodontitis as the risk factor of chronic kidney disease: Mediation analysis	Aims to determine sequences and magnitude of causality among perio disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease	Journal of Clinical Periodontology	2019
	The Influence of Porphyromonas Gingivalis Bacterium Causing Periodontal Disease on the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Systematic Review of Literature	systematic review of the literature	Cureus	2019
	Oral conditions in renal disorders and treatment considerations – A review for pediatric dentist	This article reviews the current understanding of the oral and dental aspects of chronic renal disease (CRD).	Saudi Dental Journal (republished on US National Library of Medicine -- NIH)	2015
	Periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis: the evidence accumulates for complex pathobiologic interactions	Evaluates the potential link between perio disease and rheumatoid arthritis with goal of identifying novel mechanisms and interventional strategies to improve patient outcomes	NIH – US Library of Medicine	2013
Cancer	Mouth pathogens may trigger oral squamous cell carcinoma	Evaluates the impact of periodontal disease on the development of oral cancer	PLOS Pathogen	2020
	Periodontal Disease, Tooth Loss, and Risk of Serrated Polyps and Conventional Adenomas	Concludes that a history of perio disease and possibly higher number of tooth loss may modestly increase the risk of developing colorectal precursor lesions.	American Association for Cancer Research	2020
	Certain oral bacteria linked to higher risk for esophageal cancer	Oral bacteria appeared to be more abundant in patients with esophageal cancer compared with otherwise healthy controls	Cancer (American Cancer Society)	2020
	Periodontal Disease Assessed Using Clinical Dental Measurements and Cancer Risk in the ARIC Study	Provides additional evidence that cancer risk, especially for lung and colorectal cancer, is elevated in individuals with perio disease.	Journal of the National Cancer Institute	2018
	Periodontal Treatment in Cancer Patients: An Interdisciplinary Approach	Provides a review of the literature to determine the relationships between dental care in the cancer patient to provide strategic suggestions.	NIH -- US Library of Medicine	2018
	Periodontal therapy for patients before and after radiotherapy: A review of the literature and topics of interest for clinicians	Reviews appropriate care strategies (perio maintenance, extractions) before and after head and neck cancer treatment and strategies to prevent osteoradionecrosis.	NIH -- US Library of Medicine	2018
	Periodontal Disease and Incident Cancer Risk among Postmenopausal Women: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Cohort	Study findings support the need for further understanding of the effect of periodontal disease on cancer outcomes	Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention	2017
	VARIOUS RELEVANT ARTICLES RESEARCHERS EXAMINE THE “ORAL MICROBIOME” TO LOOK FOR CLUES TO CANCER RISK. STUDY: WOMEN WITH PERIODONTAL DISEASE HAD HIGHER RISK OF SEVERAL CANCER TYPES. IN A STUDY, RESEARCHERS FOUND AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PERIODONTAL DISEASE, TOOTH LOSS, AND CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH COLORECTAL CANCER.
Other connections	Athletics The impact of oral health on physical fitness: A systematic review	Oral health problems may have numerous effects on general health, including physical fitness and performance. In this review, we aimed to systematically review the available evidence to assess the effect of oral health on general physical fitness.	Heliyon	2020
	Asthma Association between asthma and periodontal disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis	Data from this systematic review strongly suggest the association of asthma with periodontal disease.	Journal of Periodontology	2018
	COVID Alveolar bone loss and tooth loss are associated with COVID-19 severity but are not independent risk factors. An explorative study	In this retrospective explorative pilot study, alveolar bone loss and tooth loss are associated with the severity of COVID-19, however they are not independent risk factors.	Advances in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	2021
	Auto-immune Burden of chronic diseases associated with periodontal diseases: a retrospective cohort study using UK primary care data	In this cohort, periodontal diseases appeared to be associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, autoimmune diseases and mental ill health.	BMJ Open	2022
	Eye health Association between poor oral health and risk of glaucoma ARTICLE: Eye spy: Exploring the mouth-eye connection (EXCELLENT FOOTNOTES)	The purpose of our study was to explore further the association between chronic periodontitis and glaucoma in a retrospective case-control study design.	Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Disease	2022
	Celiac Disease Oral and dental manifestations of celiac disease in children: a case–control study	(Saudi) children with Celiac Disease had a greater number of clinical findings of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and dental enamel defects (DEDs) than healthy controls.	BMC	2022
	Oral Microbiome Oral microbiome and pancreatic cancer	Combined symptom and microbiome evaluation may help in the early detection of pancreatic cancer.	World J Gastroenterol.	2020
	Sleep apnea Is periodontitis associated with obstructive sleep apnea? A systematic review and meta-analysis	According to the results, periodontitis has been shown to be associated with mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but not with severe OSA.	Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry	2022
	Hemophilia Assessment of Oral Health and Healthy Habits in Adult Patients with Congenital Hemophilia	Patients with hemophilia have an increased risk of developing dental caries.	European Journal of Dentistry	2022
	Bone marrow disease Oral health status of patients with inherited bone marrow failure syndromes	Oral health may be impaired in these patients related to the disease itself, due to cytopenia, or related to the drugs the patients use, such as glucocorticoids.	Pediatric Dental Journal	2022
	Pneumonia ARTICLE: Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Is Killing Patients. Yet There Is a Simple Way to Stop It.	Lack of dental care during inpatient stays may be responsible for hundreds of thousands of hospital-acquired infections each year, including nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia, which can be fatal in up to 30% of infected patients, especially those lying flat or staying immobile for long periods of time. A greater focus on brushing patients' teeth regularly during hospital stays is needed, some experts say.	Kaiser Health News	2022

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