K-point stimulation: triggering the jaw opening reflex for brain-damaged patients

Hyun,  Hong-Keun

doi:2018.56.8.437

J Korean Dent Assoc > Volume 56(8); 2018 > Article

The Journal of The Korean Dental Association 2018;56(8):437-442.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22974/jkda.2018.56.8.004 Published online August 31, 2018.

뇌병변장애 환자의 개구 및 연하 촉진을 위한 K-point 자극법

현홍근

서울대학교 치의학대학원 소아치과학교실

K-point stimulation: triggering the jaw opening reflex for brain-damaged patients

Hong-Keun Hyun

Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University

Abstract

Patients with a wide range of cerebrovascular disease may have difficulty in opening their mouths, resulting in failing to swallow foods and maintain their oral hygiene. K-point was introduced as an effective trigger point to stimulate the jaw opening reflex for those patients. K-point stimulation may be useful as one of methods of helping open the jaw for dental examinations, or for placing foods onto the dorsum of the tongue and swallowing them effectively. Although this method cannot always guarantee the success of the jaw opening for every patient, it may still be considered to be an effective one to apply to patients having difficulty in jaw opening and swallowing disorder.

Key Words: Swallowing disorder;Dysphagia;K-point;Jaw opening;