Don’t Overlook this One Thing in Dysphagia Treatment

Dysphagia refers to difficulty chewing or swallowing. Symptoms may include:

• Food getting stuck in your cheek and not being able to clear it

• Regularly biting inside your cheek or biting your tongue because of numbness

• Inability to properly chew food

• Food or drinks spilling out of your mouth

• Unable to suck liquids through a straw

• Trouble swallowing pills

• Sensation that food is stuck in your throat after you swallow

• Coughing throughout a meal or when drinking

• Feeling like it takes too much effort to swallow and too much time to get through a meal

• Frequent bouts of pneumonia*

• Unexplained weight loss*
  *The symptoms with an asterisk may or may not be related to dysphagia and should be discussed with your primary care provider.

Dysphagia in adults can be mild with one or two symptoms happening occasionally. Or, dysphagia can be severe and affect your daily life. It could make it hard for you to stay hydrated, to maintain a healthy weight or to enjoy the social side of eating. In general it takes a team that includes you, your speech pathologist, your physician, a dietitian and perhaps a loved one to manage dysphagia. However, there is something that you can do today to help improve the outcome of your dysphagia treatment:

Brush your teeth.

No, you didn’t make a mistake reading. Yes, I said “brush your teeth.” We have likely all heard about the importance of brushing your teeth daily, twice a day. But what if you have dysphagia and are not eating or drinking anything? You still need to brush your teeth. In fact, this one act of oral hygiene can help protect you from an infection.

Sometimes dysphagia can lead to food or drinks getting aspirated, which means going down the wrong pipe. Food and bacteria that go down the wrong pipe and end up in the lungs may cause pneumonia. Brushing your teeth helps to keep oral bacteria in check, reducing the likelihood of a pneumonia infection. Here are a few things to consider to get the job done:

1. A toothbrush is better than a spongy, oral swab.
   
   Swabs may have their place for gently scooping food out of your cheek. However you need the bristle action of a toothbrush to remove the biofilm from your teeth. Bacteria cling to biofilm. An electric toothbrush can be helpful.
   
   

2. Use toothpaste, but it doesn’t have to be a lot.
   
   Measure out about pea size of toothpaste and that is probably more than enough. You may consider a non-foaming toothpaste for less mess.
   
   

3. Use floss to get in between the teeth.
   
   You want to access any hard to reach places. There are many options for type of floss. Pick what works best for you.
   
   

4. Don’t forget to brush your tongue.
   
   

5. If you wear dentures, remove them for cleaning.
   
   Dentures can trap food and debris. Please take them out for a thorough cleaning. Follow your dentist’s guidelines for cleaning dentures.

If you have dysphagia due to a stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, a cardiac condition, etc. then you may have special considerations for safely brushing your teeth. The information in this blog is general advice for educational purposes only. The content does not replace medical advice from a provider who works directly with you, who knows your medical situation and knows your unique circumstances. Please seek a provider who can guide you on a personalized oral hygiene routine. If you are in need of a speech pathologist, don’t hesitate to reach out to Bright Speech PLLC.