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The Side Biter Difference

 The original Side Biter is an innovative dysphagia therapy system that is different from any other device available.

  • Lifespan application:  The Side Biter chewing-swallowing therapy device can be used with patients with dysphagia across the lifespan;  children 2 years+, adolescents and adults. The Side Biter can be used in treating feeding disorders related to the following diagnoses: developmental delays, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, stroke, autism, syndromes.  NOTE:  Side Biter is not recommended for use with degenerative diseases such as ALS.

 

  • Systematic Dysphagia Therapy:  The Side Biter offers systematic and therapeutic food experiences inside 3 FDA approved silicone, mouth-safe cylinders with specifically placed holes that allow for gradual increases in flavor and food particles to enter the mouth during feeding and dysphagia therapy.  This offers the medical clinician to offer patients safe, effective therapeutic chewing and swallowing practice in hand-held silicone cylinders containing table food. 
     

  • Food aversion:  The Side Biter can be used with patients with feeding disorders, picky eating and sensory oral food aversions. Do not use with nuts, seeds or other sharp foods.

 

  • Nutritive Chewing:  The Side Biter uses food and not just rubber for the patient to chew on which is required in evidence-based practice as food is needed to learn bolus control (food in the mouth) and the development of nutritive chewing for functional eating and swallowing skills. 

 

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  • Efficiency:   In clinical trials, The Side Biter offers a faster and more comfortable chewing-swallowing protocol for patients to chew food safely which can be used in and outside of therapy when medically appropriate. The therapist can offer the level 1 sham bolus and progress through the 3 levels as deemed optimal for each individual patient. This allows the patient gradual food-based therapeutic exercises limits aspiration risk under medical professional supervision and guidance in skilled dysphagia therapy.
     

  • TeleTherapy:  In addition to clinical use, The Side Biter offers safe and controlled chewing practice opportunities in teletherapy.  The patient can have therapeutic experiences with chewing foods in specific amounts added into the biting tip by caregivers. The clinician can guide the patient in dysphagia therapy for specific oral-motor and swallowing exercises via telemedicine.

 

  • Home practice:  Home environment eating practice sessions are essential for best patient outcomes and quality of life, but due to the risk of airway compromise, gagging and choking actual repetitive practice is often very difficult.  Home feeding practice can be guided by a clinician, and thus can be safe and achievable because of the specially designed silicone tips guide the patient on which level is best for their level of chewing-swallowing function.

 

  • Patient Independence:   The Side Biter can support independent, self-feeding skills because patients can hold the device (if able) while eating food.  Independence is a natural motivator for people to have some control over eating post brain injury.  This hand-to-mouth self-feeding skill development is essential for younger patients.
     

  • Increased quality of life:   The Side Biter provides increased quality of life for patients with the ability experience foods for pleasure such as birthday cake or favorite food flavors in the cylinder level recommended and supervised by a skilled feeding-swallowing therapist.

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  • Insurance reimbursement:  The Sider Biter can support medical insurance documentation of patient progress using its systematic therapeutic progression of gradual increases in food amounts entering the mouth in formal feeding-dysphagia therapy.   Measurable improvements can be documented by using the progression through the cylinder levels (1-3) for maximum, safe improvements in chewing and swallowing results.  The patient can consume 1 teaspoon (5 ml) contained inside the biter tip.

 

  • Durable medical equipment:   The Side Biter is a Class 1 medical device.  It is considered durable medical equipment that may be reimbursed by major medical insurance companies with a physician’s order and specific medical diagnosis supporting the use of this tool.

 

  • Inter-professional:  The Side Biter can be useful to the following professionals: Feeding specialists, physicians, nurses, speech therapists, occupational therapists, autism specialists, nurses, aides, teachers, dietitians.
     

  • NOTE: A complete medical swallowing assessment is required prior to use of the Side Biter system. 

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