Transitional Foods: Updates on Their Behavior, Use and Benefits in both the Adult & Pediatric Populations
Originally broadcast on July 22, 2020
Webinar Description:
This webinar is for healthcare providers, patients and caregivers impacted by dysphagia, and students learning about swallowing disorders.
This presentation will define and categorize types of transitional foods. We will discuss the potential benefits of improved choices, increased textures and ultimately improved dining enjoyment. Use of transitional foods in the pediatric population will be discussed with examples of use presented in specific special needs populations. The IDDSI testing method for transitional foods will be reviewed and the variation in results obtained with this test will be demonstrated between known transitional foods. We will share two research methods of evaluating the dissolution patterns of transitional foods in the oral environment will be described with relevant clinical implications. The external environment (air, humidity, length of exposure) play a significant role in the transitional behavior of these foods and ultimately their safety. The oral environment (amount of saliva, degree of tongue pressure, anterior-posterior transit time) also has a significant impact as well. Both groups of factors will be discussed in detail providing a broader scope of understanding of patient selection, and proper use. Ultimately expanding our knowledge of transitional foods will improve our understanding of use with the goal of improving patient engagement and outcomes.
Learner Outcomes:
- Understand the difference between transitional food behaviors in the mouth in comparison to IDDSI benchtop methods.
- Classification of transitional foods and the importance of the oral environment
- Learn the role transitional foods can play in dysphagia management
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Reva Barewal 
Dr. Samantha Shune
Reva Barewal, DDS, MS, is a dentist, an expert on dining health and a trained culinary chef. Her passion for food and science stemmed from her childhood eating challenges caused by a jaw growth deficiency that took years of treatment to improve and left a lasting impression of the social challenges when not able to eat like others. Now, as an accomplished international speaker, lead research investigator, educator, and published author on dental implants, and sleep apnea, she is considered a key opinion leader for Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest dental company. Using her knowledge gained from her patient’s frustrations with the monotony of sweet shake supplements to maintain weight, and her belief in food as medicine, she developed her expertise in dining health for the elderly. A product line was created called Savorease snack supplements. This research supported, innovative food line addresses multiple pain points in the dining experience for seniors. For more information, visit www.savorease.com.
Samantha Shune, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor at the University of Oregon. Her research and clinical interests include the effects of healthy and pathologic aging on swallowing and the mealtime process. She is particularly interested in better understanding shared food-related activities as opportunities to therapeutically target improved quality of life for both older adults and their social networks (e.g., partners, family members). Prior to returning to school for her PhD and throughout her doctoral program, she worked as an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist in various medical settings (inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, acute care), with a particular focus on dysphagia and stroke rehabilitation. In addition to her research, she currently teaches in the area of medical speech-language pathology and organizes a swallowing disorders support group. More information about her work is available at https://eatinglab.uoregon.edu
Cost: FREE. This webinar recording is free to all registrants. We recognize the financial hardship that is impacting many throughout the globe due to the pandemic. As a non-profit, we feel this too. The NFOSD wants to thank Bracco Diagnostics for their unrestricted education grant.
CEUs: No ASHA CEUs are offered for this webinar.
