Dysphagia, oral phase

This code signifies difficulty initiating the swallow due to impaired oral preparation or transit of food/liquid from the mouth to the pharynx. It involves issues with chewing, bolus formation, or propelling the bolus backward. Patients may experience spillage, pocketing, or prolonged oral transit times.

Apply this code when documentation specifies a problem with the oral stage of swallowing, such as poor bolus control, premature spillage, or difficulty with mastication. Supporting documentation often includes speech-language pathology evaluations, physician notes detailing oral phase deficits, or instrumental swallow studies (e.g., MBS, FEES) identifying oral phase dysfunction.

• Differentiate from pharyngeal or esophageal dysphagia; this code is specific to the oral phase.
• Do not use if the documentation only states "dysphagia" without specifying the phase.
• Consider co-reporting with codes for underlying neurological conditions (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease) if applicable.