All of the following are deficits of the oral phase of swallowing, except what?

• A. Food residue located in various places
• B. Aspiration before swallow
• C. Piecemeal swallow
• D. Reduced movement of the base of the tongue

Answer: (D)

Understanding which deficits align with the oral phase helps you pinpoint where the swallow is breaking down. The oral phase covers bolus preparation, containment, and propulsion toward the back of the mouth. When problems show up here, you see food residue left in the mouth after attempting a swallow, indicating incomplete oral clearance; a piecemeal swallow, where the bolus is broken into smaller portions rather than moved as a cohesive unit; and aspiration before the swallow, which can happen if the bolus spills into the airway before the swallow is triggered due to poor oral containment and timing. The movement of the base of the tongue, by contrast, is what drives the bolus from the mouth into the pharynx during the pharyngeal phase, not the oral phase. So reduced base-of-tongue movement is not an oral-phase deficit.