Prevalence of swallowing problems in a dental clinic: a case study of a general hospital in Thailand

Background: Swallowing problems, or dysphagia, are common among older adults and can be caused by various health conditions or medications. However, aging can result in physiological changes that lead to swallowing difficulties, even in healthy older adults. Swallowing problems can increase the risk of undesirable consequences in dental clinics, such as accidental ingestion or aspiration of fluid, foreign objects, dental materials, or instruments, which could lead to emergencies. The prevalence of swallowing problems among older adults visiting dental clinics remains unknown. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of swallowing problems in dental clinics. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of outpatients in a dental clinic of NongKhai Hospital in NongKhai province, Thailand, was conducted from November 2023 to April 2024. The questionnaire consists of swallowing-related information and the prevalence of swallowing problems defined as a Thai version of EAT-10 score ≥ 3. Logistic regression and chi-square or Fisher’s exact test were used to analyze the association factors. Results: Out of 327 participants, 52.29% (171 individuals) were women with a mean age of 69.17±6.59 years. The prevalence of swallowing problems was 12.54%. Swallowing problems were found to be associated with being female, requiring dietary texture modification, having underlying diseases such as stroke, dementia, neuromuscular disorders, head and neck cancer, and experiencing choking or coughing during dental treatment. Conclusions: This survey is the first study to investigate swallowing problems among older people in Thailand in a dental clinic setting. These findings highlight the importance of raising awareness of the potential risks of unwanted incidents during dental procedures.