Title: Prosthodontic Rehabilitation in Elderlies with Dysphagia by means of Piezography
Abstract:
Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder frequent in elderly people and increase with aging. There are a lot of local and systemic factors involved in its etiology that must be interdisciplinary diagnosed, for a best and coordinated treatment. The main impact of this disorder is the severe problem in the respiratory tract promoted by the aspiration pneumonia (aspiration of foods or oral infections) and another problem is nutrition.
Dentist-gerodontologist role is to know how to work in a team and play the correct role in rehabilitation and prevention of Oral Dysphagia
Observing some oncological cases will help to understand how gerodontologist must cope with both, treatment and his responsibility in a preventive program for dysphagia. In the prosthodontic treatment it is shown the procedure to recover and optimized oral functions, between them swallowing. An innovative multidimensional impression is proposed to solve successfully some oncological cases. By means of Piezography technique a very good support is given to the oral muscles involved in deglutition.
Dysphagia patients because of Aging, Down Syndrome or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, will receive a more than acceptable swallowing rehabilitation and other oral functions. But it is also very important to emphasis the patient's esthetic and social reinsertion. By means of Piezography the patient will gain in quality of life and will recover a safe swallowing.
Another aspect to be remarked is Prevention of Dysphagia and its very severe consequences. For this purpose some muscular exercises are design, based on Oral Diadochokinesis and other exercises. Tongue exercises ( protrusion, lateral movements and pressure against the palate), cheek exercises (inflate the mouth and rinsing) and lips exercises (protrusion, inflate cheeks). These exercises have to be incorporated and coordinated with other indicated by the health team, as speech therapist, nutritionist and so on.
The objective has to be an integral program of exercises, to rehabilitate and prevent from Dysphagia.
Not only swallowing but also the other oral functions will be improved.
In this prevention chapter Health Literacy plays a very important role in educating not only the patient but also the family and care giver (dysphagia prevention team).
Nevertheless to these patients an Integral Oral Hygiene Care Program (OHICP) must be incorporated, because of pneumonia risk prevention.
