Effects of Oral Health Interventions in People With Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: A Systematic Review

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Remijn, L., Sanchez, F., et al. (2022).

Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(12), 3521.

This systematic review investigates the effects of oral health care interventions on swallowing-related outcomes, the incidence of aspiration pneumonia, and oral health status in children and adults with oropharyngeal dysphagia.

No funding received

From database inception to July 19, 2021

Original, published, English-language studies. Excludes conference abstracts, reviews, case reports, student dissertations, and editorials

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Limited research is available investigating the effects of oral health interventions on outcomes in children with oropharyngeal dysphagia and additional support needs. "The only study targeting a younger population identified a positive correlation between the presence of calculus and a history of aspiration pneumonia in children with gastrostomies" (p. 14). The authors conclude that additional research is warranted.

For adults with oropharyngeal dysphagia, the following findings were noted:<br /> <ul> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Several oral health interventions&nbsp; were associated with reduced aspiration pneumonia incidence and/or improved oral health. </span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Oral disinfection with mouth rinse in addition to usual oral hygiene care demonstrated a positive effect on the level of food intake and an increased rate of nasogastric tube removal; however, due to the limited evidence, the authors conclude that other oral health care approaches may be more beneficial. </span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Intensified oral hygiene instruction in combination with a free water protocol demonstrated significant improvements in oral health status and did not increase pneumonia incidence. Pneumonia incidence was reduced in one study.</span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Topical oral disinfection combined with usual oral hygiene and an intensified oral health program resulted in decreased incidence of aspiration pneumonia. </span></li> </ul> <span style="color: #333333;">The authors conclude "that oral cleaning, twice a day, with an antibacterial toothpaste in combination with interdental cleaning and the free water protocol proved to be the best intervention to improve oral health."</span>