Dental Management for Patients in ICU

Abstract

The essence of multi disciplinarity is that professionals from different areas acting on the same patient in intensive care do not rely on the environment or special equipment but on the decision making process, based on the full understanding of the patient's physiological, psychological conditions and of new therapies. It is mandatory that ICU patients receive sufficient oral hygiene care during their stay, for the purpose of preventing oral pathologies and possible complications of already existing oral diseases. There is real need for the effective participation of dentists and the nursing staff in the instructions, professional qualification, and motivation of health professionals working in the ICU in order to create specific routines to promote oral health in ICU patients. Multifaceted interventions to improve oral care nursing practices are required to reduce the incidence of life threatening conditions in mechanically ventilated patients, thereby improving patient safety