Dysphagia and Oral Health in Older People

Abstract

Dysphagia is a term that is used for the difficulty in moving liquid/food from mouth to the stomach. Dysphagia is very common in elders, which makes them susceptible to malnutrition, infection, institutionalization, and death. Consequently, it is categorized as a geriatric syndrome. Therefore, multidisciplinary teams need to work together to determine the correct etiology and implement an appropriate care plan. Oral care is crucial in managing dysphagia and dental hygienists and dentists serve as the key members. In some regions, the roles of dental professionals are not fully understood. Hence, the aim of this article is to review oral problems that are prevalent in older people and their relationship to dysphagia as well as the roles of dental professionals in dysphagia diagnosis and management.

The Prevalence of Dysphagia in Individuals Living in Residential Aged Care Facilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…In this review, Rech and colleagues [ 62 , 63 ] estimated that 92% of residents with dysphagia had poor dentition (partial and nonfunctional dentition). This finding is consistent with the existing literature on the association between poor dentition and dysphagia in the elderly, specifically the reduction in masticatory function in those who are edentulous, resulting in impaired swallowing [ 29 , 85 , 86 , 87 ]. Best-practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia suggest that structured screening and use of the CSE in these groups is critical [ 29 , 75 ].…”

The role of transcranial direct current stimulation in diminishing the risk of pneumonia in patients with dysphagia: A double-blinded randomized clinical trial

“…On the other hand, dysphagia is not the only risk factor of AP, and there are other factors which have the potential to develop this disease, such as dependency on eating/drinking, oral health, enteral feeding, polypharmacy, malnutrition, and smoking. 32 , 33 Therefore, it is recommended that the patients should be managed from a holistic point of view. Using pharmacological treatments alongside rehabilitation techniques including physical and pulmonary rehabilitation as well as dysphagia rehabilitation combined with appropriate nutritional management are recommended to manage AP effectively.…”