Contribution of dental treatment to reducing mortality in the ICUs: a 6-year retrospective analysis

The aim of this study was to evaluate dental treatment outcomes and safety in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Data collected included the frequency of dental interventions, the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), patient demographics, length of ICU stay, and mortality. In the statistical analysis, logistic regression models were utilized to explore associations between dental care and patient outcomes, calculating odds ratios for mortality outcomes, with adjustments for potential confounders. More than three interventions were associated with a lower risk of mortality in both crude (p < 0.0001) and adjusted analyses (p < 0.0001), suggesting a protective effect. Patients who received more frequent dental care demonstrated improved survival outcomes. VAP did not significantly increase mortality risk in this cohort (p = 0.3511). Dental procedures were not conclusively linked to a reduction in mortality; however, they were not associated with any important adverse effects, indicating that they are safe for ICU patients. The findings indicate that regular dental treatment in the ICU may be beneficial to patient survival and does not pose additional safety risks. While VAP did not independently predict mortality, receipt of comprehensive dental care was a protective factor.