CAREGIVER KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF CHEWING PROBLEM

Chewing is the process of making the food taken into the mouth as a bolus with rhythmic, coordinated, and sequential movements. To normal chewing function oral and perioral sensory integrity; adequate lip closure and intraoral pressure; intraoral bolus transport; normal structure and coordination of lips, palate, tongue, jaw joint, chewing muscles should be ensured. Problems that occur in bolus formation starting from taking food into the mouth are called chewing problems. The underlying cause of the chewing problem can be very diverse. The chewing problem can be seen in genetic, neuromuscular, gastrointestinal pediatric diseases as well as cognitive, behavioral problems or in healthy children. Many different health professionals take part in the rehabilitation of the chewing problem, but the family is at the center of the rehabilitation. For this reason, the level of knowledge, experience, and approach of the family is very important. The aim of this study is to determine the swallowing-chewing problem knowledge levels, experiences and approaches of the caregivers of the child with chewing problems.