Why do I worry about gagging at the dentist?

Do you have a fear of gagging at the dentist?

As the No Fear Here Dentist I want to tell you I treat people every single day who have a concerning gag reflex.

A lot of people who have dental fear tend to gag more. It’s hard to know whether the gag reflex makes people nervous because they are worried they are ‘hard to treat’ or embarrassed about it.

The gag reflex is designed as a protective mechanism which stops us choking! Its very hard to control with our conscious mind…. In the same way its hard to control your blink reflex when you are poked in the eye.

Feeling more comfortable and in control will help to reduce the gag reflex. When you feel like you aren’t in control you will likely gag more!

Many dentists understand this so will do what they can to help you feel in charge of your own mouth and care.

Making sure your mouth is very numb can help reduce the gag sensation, as you can’t feel the instruments in your mouth as much.

Other techniques that can help are using an acupressure point on your chin , pushing hard on the point above the bony part of your chin in the centre can really help.

Breathing exercises also work by distracting you as well as keeping your airways open. Techniques like box breathing ( Breathe in for 4, hold for 4 , breathe out for 4, hold for 4 repeat)  are simple and useful.

Lastly Relative analgesia ( happy air sedation) is excellent for deactivating the gag reflex for severe sufferers.  I have several clients who are totally unable to have dental treatment without this sedation, but travel up to 60 miles to see me in order to get their teeth looked after.

This information will have helped you understand where your own gag reflex comes from, and given you some tips to overcome it.

Good luck.

Karen

PS more tips and resources for free available here