Digestion is something we all take for granted. Not only do we take it for granted but we abuse it every day. Why would we do such a thing? Probably because our digestive system works automatically without any help from us. Until it doesn’t.
Digestion is far more complex than we realize. We get hungry, we eat, and move on to the next thing on our to-do list. However, it seems to me I am seeing more patients with digestive problems.
How does a speech therapist end up with patients with digestive problems? It begins with our teeth, lips, cheeks, and tongue. If any of these body parts are weak or missing (teeth), swallowing problems are likely to be present.
We have all been told as kids to chew our food. Each bite should be chewed 32 times! What! Yes. 32 times. But why? I tried to locate research-based case studies on exact numbers of chewing each bite. Lots of research but nothing that measured the times each bite was chewed. I will keep searching. If it’s been said, it’s written somewhere……..
1. To break the fibrous foods such as vegetable and fruit skins, meats, and dry-hard foods (chips, nuts, etc).
2. Saliva has enzymes which initiate digestion. Yep, digestion starts before your first bite. These enzymes begin to help break down your food before it ever reaches your stomach. Saliva starts to produce as you are thinking about your food. Your mouth starts to ‘water’ specifically to aid in digestion.
3. Teeth pulverize and crush each bite into small particles. This is necessary to reduce the work placed on your stomach.
Yes, I know. Wow! I’m afraid many people really have not put a lot of thought into their chewing. We are all guilty for sure. Including myself.
In regards to speech therapy, we often have patients with poor dentition, poorly fitting dentures, weak muscles in the mouth (tongue, lips, cheeks), or with a dry mouth. All of the above will have a negative effect on someone’s ability to chew and swallow their food.
The biggest problem with this is the negative effects on your digestive system do not show up immediately. People often live with these bad habits or weaknesses all of their life. Again, everyone is different. Some people start to feel the effects sooner than others.
Digestive problems associated with poor oral musculature, poor chewing habits, or dry mouth will eventually slowly show up as:
1. Indigestion
2. Reflux
3. Weight gain
4. Poor sleeping habits
5. Dental problems (cavities due to poor saliva production)
This is a shortlist of possible side effects. Digestive problems can slowly arise or rapidly appear depending on the individual. When problems arise slowly, it can be difficult to associate them with poor chewing habits.
When it comes to digestive problems- don’t forget it starts before the first bite of food!
Kind regards,
Pamela
