ORAL HYGIENE PROTOCOLS IN THE ICU: LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Dental care in Intensive Care Units - ICUs - is still not a reality in all hospitals, although its effectiveness in preventing oral infections and the way in which this care can interfere with the progression of bedridden patients' illnesses has been proven, and can even speed up the patient's recovery and thus reduce the length of hospitalization, since the professional in the area has all the knowledge to act in each different situation. A bibliographic study using books, magazines, websites and other articles was carried out with the aim of showing how valuable the participation of the dental surgeon is in the multiprofessional hospital team and how much he makes a difference in this team. It is through this professional that a survey of the patient's conditions is carried out and, with this information, he is the one who guides the nursing team and oral health technicians so that oral hygiene is carried out properly. Based on this survey, it is possible to apply a personalized oral hygiene protocol according to each case and thus not only combat pre-existing diseases, but also prevent them.