Dysmesesis is difficulty in chewing food — impaired mastication. The causes span the mouth and beyond: missing or painful teeth, ill-fitting dentures, jaw disorders, oral surgery, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and the general frailty of old age. Chewing is the first step of digestion — it grinds food, mixes it with saliva, and forms a safe bolus — so when it fails, nutrition and safety both suffer: people avoid fibrous vegetables, meats, and nuts, narrowing their diet toward soft, often less nutritious foods, and poorly chewed pieces raise the choking risk. Dietitians answer with texture modification — soft, moist, minced, or puréed foods that need minimal chewing — and dentists and speech therapists address the cause. Dysmesesis is common, under-recognised, and one of the main reasons older adults eat poorly.