The lecturer at the Fernando Pessoa Higher School of Health (ESS-FP), Professor Dr. Daniela Vieira, participated in the XLVI Congress of the Portuguese Society of Stomatology and Dental Medicine (SPEMD), held in Porto at the Cupertino de Miranda Foundation on October 9 and 10, presenting a scientific poster entitled «Oral hygiene interventions in adults with oropharyngeal dysphagia: systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes related to pneumonia».

The work, developed within the ORALDYS research project, is led by Daniela Vieira, Joana Maia, Marta Silva and Pedro Barroso Moreira, and seeks to analyze the effectiveness of structured oral hygiene interventions in reducing respiratory complications in adults with oropharyngeal dysphagia or in populations at high clinical risk of this condition. The research consisted of a systematic review and meta-analysis, developed in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 recommendations and with a protocol registered on the international platform PROSPERO. Nine studies were included, three of which were included in the main meta-analysis. The results showed a statistically significant association between the implementation of structured oral hygiene care and the reduction of the risk of pneumonia, as well as consistent improvements in oral health indicators. These results reinforce the importance of integrating assessment and oral health care into the clinical approach to oropharyngeal dysphagia, promoting the coordination between Dental Medicine, Speech Therapy, Nursing and caregivers.

The presentation of this work at the SPEMD congress contributed to the dissemination of the research developed by the ESS-FP professor, highlighting the relevance of interdisciplinary scientific production and the transfer of knowledge to clinical practice, with the aim of improving the quality and safety of healthcare.