Food residue seen in mouth after eating

Follow the advice in the Eating and drinking strategies leaflet.

If residue is a consistent issue, please ensure oral care is completed after each meal to remove the residue.

If the patient is drowsy or is likely to go to sleep with food left in their mouth, please complete oral hygiene to remove this to reduce risks of choking and aspiration

If the oral residue is felt to be related to an unmanageable texture, please consider a referral to Speech and Language Therapy

When completing a referral ensure you have documented the changes you have actioned prior to referral on the Managing dysphagia checklist and attached this to the referral. Referrals without this checklist will not be accepted at triage.

 

Page last reviewed: 21 March, 2024