Super bad gagging reflex, getting molds for braces done soon!

[cooledwhip]

Hi guys, I'm obviously new to these forums. I'm really looking for help overcoming my fear of gagging. I have a serious problem. I have seen problems where people throw up when getting their teeth cleaned. I'm not that bad... Sometimes when I brush the inner molars of my teeth area I gag a little. I can't stand the strep tests at the doctor's, I have a bad gag reflex, but not as bad as other people's. I am getting braces soon, (boy do I need them), and I told my mom I wanted to wait a while before we make our first ortho appointment (which will be the mold appointment) because my birthday is march first. I am super scared about the molds and wanted help from the forums. I am worried about the way it feels and everything. We already visited the ortho with a free consult. and he seems nice. His name is Richard N Brochu in chicago area. He gave me the metal mold peice to look at and see the way it looks. I am just very scared that I will gag on it. Can you guys please answer some questions for me? How long is it in for? What does it overall feel like (be descriptive please)? What is the mold stuff made out of? How does it taste? How far back does it go? Is there any ways I can train myself to overcome the feeling? And can I buy a cheap mold or something on eBay and practice at home? Thanks!

 

[rob wain]

Hi, i take impressions for many people so I'm on the delivering rather than the receiving end if you see what I mean.
However what you can do proactively is practice breathing through your nose with your mouth open. if you can master this then you will be able to suppress the gag reflex.
If you google acupressure for gag reflex you'll find theres a point on your hand that you can massage that also helps supress the reflex
practice meditation, that also helps to distract.
tell the dentist and nurse, they can sometimes speed the impression up by making it set a little quicker.
best of luck

 

[comfortdentist]

If he is an orthodontist then I would assume he has a staff member who is really good at gettting impressions and has dealt with gagging patients.
If he isn't an orthodontist then he might have nitrous oxide which is very helpful.

 

[sajero2]

I sound like I have the exact same gagging issues as you. I recently had to get impressions done twice for two separate molds. The first time I gagged with the top one, and the second time I didn't gag at all with either.

The key is to breathe through your nose. Just concentrate really hard on that, and DO NOT SWALLOW. With my first upper impression, I was doing fine until about halfway through when I swallowed a couple times, and then I started gagging pretty bad. Fight the urge to swallow and just breathe strongly in and out through your nose.

My hygenist also had me wiggle my toes the whole time. Sounds weird, but if you're focusing on that, you take attention off of what's happening in your mouth.

I have also heard that leaning forward while getting your impressions taken helps gaggers. I was leaned back both times so I can't confirm if that works.

As far as the taste, there wasn't one! It just feels gooey and cold. Kind of like super thick pudding. The trays are a bit large, but those didn't bother me at all and I have a super tiny mouth; it was when I started swallowing and breathing through my mouth that the goo made me gag a bit.

You'll be fine, though. I was terrified for the impressions and they're really fast and again, it was just the upper one that was somewhat difficult for me and only the first time I had it done.

 

[gentledental]

Another tip is to ask for the impressions to be taken whilst you are sitting up.

Also ask your dentist to warm up the impression material so it sets quicker.

Also you can ask your dentist to place a spoonful of SALT in the back of your tongue before placing the impression material. Trust me this works as well.

The gag reflex is a protective response because who are scared of choking. It is important that you remember you can BREATHE through your nose. Wiggling your toes can distract your brain a little bit.

Last but not least you can have sedation as well...... but not many dentists provide this.

You can find more tips for coping with a sensitive gag reflex here:

How can I prevent gagging in the dentist's chair?

Our readers share their tips for preventing gagging at the dentist's: coping with X-rays, impressions, brushing teeth, dental treatment, dentures, and more.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[Deedee2604]

I am a gagger as well. I recently had upper impression taken and was really anxious since the first time I had it done I did start to gag. The assistant sprayed my throat with a numbing spray and used a putty that hardens faster. No gagging! The throat spray kinda burned a bit, but better than gagging!

 

[cooledwhip]

Thanks guys. I am getting my molds tomorrow! I guess step 1/3 is almost cleared up! I really like all the support on these forums so I will stick with you guys until the day when my braces come off. I also have another question, my ortho showed me the actual trays he uses, now, he uses the metal ones, and on videos on youtube I've seen of molds getting done, it seems as though the goo stuff squirts out the front (oozes out the front holes), does it ooze out in the back at all (aiming down towards my throat) Thanks!