Abstract: Objective: To apply evidence-based oral care for critically ill children and evaluate its effectiveness, in order to provide a reference for improving the quality of oral care. Methods: Evidence-based nursing methods were adopted to obtain the best available evidence, develop review indicators for oral care in critically ill pediatric patients, analyze obstacles, and formulate policies based on clinical conditions. The nurses' knowledge of oral care of critically ill children, the oral condition of critically ill children, and the implementation of audit indicators by nurses were compared before and after the application of evidence-based practice. Results: After the evidence-based nursing practice, nurses' knowledge scores on oral care increased from 27.21±6.71 to 40.87±16.53, the implementation rate of 11 review indicators increased from 0-51.02% to 42.85%-100.00% (P<0.05), and the oral condition score of critically ill children was improved (P<0.05). Conclusion: Evidence-based nursing practice, grounded in the available evidence, can enhance nurses' knowledge and standardize their behaviors, thereby improving the oral health condition of critically ill children.

Key words: critically ill children; oral care; evidence-based nursing; evidence application; oral health assessment