Hospital Dental Services to Reduce Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia

Purpose of Review: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) has a high incidence among health care–associated infections. Oral care is a standard intervention for the prevention of HAP, but few hospitals provide access to dental services for inpatients. In the current review, we examine hospital dental services and determine the effectiveness of hospital teams, including dental professionals, in controlling HAP. Recent Findings: In-hospital dental services for perioperative patients under ventilator management and patients with acute stroke have been reported to reduce HAP. Dental interventions that achieve control of HAP have also been found to be beneficial in terms of hospital management. Summary: HAP prevention requires not only treatment and care by a dental professional but also education and protocol implementation for nursing staff that provide oral care. Health insurance schemes and economic disparities have hindered the dissemination of hospital dentistry, which is necessary to improve the quality of hospital care.