News

The daily habit that can protect hospital patients from pneumonia

Brushing teeth daily can cut the risk of hospitalised patients catching pneumonia by 60 per cent, a new Australian study has found.

Key points:

• Most hospital patients don't brush their teeth regularly, but doing so could cut their risk of developing pneumonia by 60 per cent during their stay
• Hospital-acquired pneumonia is linked to longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs and increased mortality in older adults.

Published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the study involved over 8000 patients across three Australian hospitals and is the largest randomised controlled trial of its kind.

It found improving oral hygiene of hospital patients significantly reduced the risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia - a common infection that develops at least 48 hours after admission.

This kind of pneumonia occurs in patients who aren’t on a ventilator, usually outside of intensive care settings. Patients are infected when bacteria from the mouth or throat are breathed into the lungs. It can be as dangerous as acquiring pneumonia from using ventilators and tends to be more serious than other lung infections.

ACU’S Professor Jenny Sim, the head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine (NSW), was a co-investigator on the study led by Avondale University.

“Oral care is something most people do as part of their daily hygiene routine, but when someone is admitted to a hospital it can be easy to forget to brush your teeth,” Professor Sim said. 

“Sometimes people feel so unwell that they don't think about it. Sometimes, people don't have access to a suitable toothbrush and toothpaste. Sometimes, people can't get to the bathroom to complete their own oral care. Sometimes, staff are busy and people don't get the assistance they need.

“But we now know is that brushing your teeth reduces a person's risk of developing pneumonia by 60 per cent. Most people don't know that, so we need to spread the word and support patients, and those caring for them, to regularly brush their teeth.”

Professor Sim encouraged the community to ensure their loved ones have access to a soft toothbrush and toothpaste containing sodium bicarbonate and fluoride to be able to brush their teeth while in hospital.

“If you are a nurse, or healthcare worker, then ask the question “Have you brushed your teeth today?’ and if they haven't, please help your patients to complete this important hygiene task,” she said.

Study lead Professor Brett Mitchell from Avondale University said the findings will help shape clinical practice and guidelines globally - preventing thousands of infections and lives lost.

Professor Mitchell said oral care, which includes brushing your teeth, has been linked as a preventative measure, but few high-quality randomised control trials have been conducted within hospital settings.

So, he and his colleagues developed the year-long randomised controlled trial involving 8870 patients in three Australian hospitals to test the effects of oral care on pneumonia risks.

For this study, patients were equipped with a toothbrush, toothpaste and access to additional online resources on admission. Healthcare workers assisted patients to improve their daily oral care while letting control groups follow their own routine.

Researchers found the patients who were part of the intervention saw substantial improvement in oral hygiene, with audits showing oral care was undertaken an average of 1.5 times per day

The study was recently presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Global Congress 2026 in Germany.

Media Contact: Elisabeth Tarica, Australian Catholic University on 0418 756 941 or elisabeth.tarica@acu.edu.au