Chewing as Therapy: Rethinking Oral Preparation and Textures in Dysphagia
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What is the focus of today’s SLP Nerdcast episode and who are the hosts?
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Welcome to SLP Nerdcast. I'm really excited for today's episode. I am here without our regular co-host today, Amy, but I am not alone. I am very excited to welcome our content expert and guest, Dr. Rava Bearwall. Welcome Rava. Thank you. So one of the things that I love about being the host of this show is I get to talk to so many different kinds of people from so many different disciplines. And you are going to bring so much great, interesting, unique perspective to this conversation today. Just given the nature of your background, I would love to start off by having you tell our audience a little bit about yourself and Just w what what perspectives are you bringing to the table for today's conversation?
Yeah. Uh well just uh um you know where do I start? I am a prosthetist. I think that's the hardest the hardest place to start. Um, because most people don't know what that is.
Including me, but we'll get there.
Yeah, it is a uh essentially an oral reconstruction specialist. So I am a dentist that went to uh postdoctoral um residency program to become a prosthetist. And what that really means is that I understand chewing um or mastication really well. And I spent three decades um in research, clinical practice, teaching at um at Oregon Health and Science University, uh, essentially prostodonics. Uh I also am an uh board uh I I do sleep uh disordered breathing and, you know, worked alongside with physicians. So prostodonics is kind of this You can do anything you want with prosodonics really. Um, it's where you want to take it. And it's just a really interesting term because it just isn't catchy like orthodontics and oral surgery.
I mean, everyone knows what that is. Um, in fact, our dean stood on the street and he asked people on the street like Do you recognize this term? And most people recognize Proctologist way more than prosthetic. So that just gives you the perspective.
I believe it. I I mean, I have been in the field for over, you know, 15 to 20 years almost. And um, I have never heard this term. And I am dying to know how you found this niche. Yes. What led you to study this?
Well, it's interesting because PROS, we um interconnect with head neck cancer patients because of course, you know, um There's a lot of impacts to the oral health um with head and neck cancer and surgical post radiation, et cetera. Um, so it was really my patients that I was treating that had dysphagia. And I was working with them and learning about You know, as I'm reconstructing the mouse so they can chew better, having dysphagia. means that they're on a texture modified diet sometimes.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the focus of today’s SLP Nerdcast episode and who are the hosts?
0:00–8:38
2
How does Dr. Rava Berwall’s background in prosthodontics shape her view of dysphagia?
8:38–15:16
3
What neuro‑physiological role does chewing play in activating cortical and brain‑stem networks for swallowing?
15:16–23:36
4
Why are texture‑modified diets considered a sensory‑input problem rather than just a safety issue?
23:36–30:51
5
What is tribology and how does it explain the interaction between food texture and the oral environment?
30:51–38:05
6
How can functional textures be engineered to provide tactile feedback and improve swallow efficiency?
38:05–45:54
7
What practical clinical strategies can SLPs use to incorporate chewing‑focused therapy and functional textures into treatment plans?
45:54–53:43
8
What resources, research, and next steps are recommended for clinicians wanting to explore chewing as therapy?
53:43–1:07:13
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from SLP Nerdcast
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