In anatomical terms, cleft is an abnormal opening in the body. A cleft lip or palate means that either (or both) of the two have a hole where there shouldn’t be. The cleft can affect the upper lip, the nose, the hard palate and soft palate. The various orofacial clefts may cause swallowing problems in different phases of the swallow and different types of dysphagia: the cleft lip cause sucking problems in the preparatory phase, the cleft palate in the oral transitory phase, a

Candida normally lives in the mouth, throat, and the rest of the digestive tract without causing any problems. Sometimes, Candida can multiply and cause an infection if the environment inside the mouth, throat, or esophagus changes in a way that encourages its growth. For example, this change can occur if a person’s immune system becomes weakened or antibiotics affect the natural balance of microbes in the body. Candidiasis in the mouth and throat is also called thrush. Candi

The instability of dentures should be considered when assessing swallow function. A removable denture may have negative effects on swallowing ability such as mastication performance or impaired sensation of the oral cavity. Dentures or dental implants can reduce sensory input (such as taste), which is important for normal control of the voluntary swallow. After wearing dentures for years, the jaw can become smaller from normal recession and wear, which can cause dentures not

National Ice Cream Month is celebrated each year in July. Sadly, ice cream is not recommended for individuals with dysphagia who require thickened liquids in order to swallow safely because it can melt in their mouth and become a thin liquid, which can increase risk of aspiration. Some individuals with dysphagia take longer to prepare and propel the bolus prior to swallowing, which allows more time for foods such as ice cream to melt. This National Ice Cream Month, consider p