What do systematic reviews say?

Professional oral care vs Usual oral care

• Oral care measures for preventing nursing home‐acquired pneumonia 2022 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Measured in only 1 study (834 participants), which reported no serious events and 64 non-serious events, the most common of which were oral cavity disturbances (not defined) and dental staining.
  1 study · 834 participants
  GRADE not reported

Chlorhexidine (mouthrinse or gel), as part of oral hygiene care vs placebo or usual care

• Oral hygiene care for critically ill patients to prevent ventilator‐associated pneumonia 2020 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Adverse effects: information from 2 studies; one stated there were none, the other reported mild reversible irritation of the oral mucosa; very low certainty. There was a lack of evidence about adverse effects.
  2 studies
  Very low

Periodontal treatment (subgingival instrumentation, with or without antimicrobials/surgery) vs usual care or no treatment

• Treatment of periodontitis for glycaemic control in people with diabetes mellitus 2022 · Cochrane All outcomes

  3-4 months
  SoF comment: insufficient evidence to determine whether SRP for glycaemic control is associated with any harms; most studies did not evaluate adverse effects. Where reported (e.g. D'Aiuto 2018) serious adverse events…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Antifibrinolytic therapy (tranexamic acid or epsilon aminocaproic acid) vs Placebo, no intervention or usual care (with or without placebo)

Antifibrinolytic therapy (tranexamic acid or epsilon aminocaproic… showed no clear difference in side effects or other adverse events compared with placebo, no intervention or usual care (with or without placebo) (low certainty).

• Antifibrinolytic therapy for preventing oral bleeding in patients with haemophilia or Von Willebrand disease… 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 10 days postoperative
  RD 0.034 [-0.32, 0.38]
  2 studies · 59 participants
  Low

Educational intervention with information and practical components (theoretical oral health education plus practical skills training) for nursing staff and/or residents vs (Optimised) usual care

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Oral health educational interventions for nursing home staff and residents 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
  None of the included studies assessed adverse effects of the intervention.
  0 studies
  No studies found