When Going To The Dentist Makes You Gag
July 29, 2008
by Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service
INTELIHEALTH -- People with a sensitive gag reflex may avoid visiting the dentist. They may gag when they get X-rays, have a filling put in, or even when they get their teeth cleaned. Some people even throw up.
U.K. researchers did a study to find out who is more likely to have this problem.
They studied 47 people who were visiting a dental anxiety clinic at Birmingham Dental Hospital. All said they had a sensitive gag reflex.
The condition was more common among people ages 40 to 49. Most people had a dental-related experience in their past that appeared to trigger the problem. Many said they had a fear of suffocation or choking.
More than half of people in the study had a history of a psychological disorder, such as depression or anxiety.
Dentists have many ways to help people with a sensitive gag reflex, or with anxiety about dental procedures. They include:
- Talking about the problem
- Using numbing throat sprays or liquids
- Using a rubber dam
- Using nitrous oxide
- Asking the person to breathe through the nose
Hypnosis and acupuncture have been shown to help some people. Sedation through a vein or even general anesthesia can be used when other methods don't work.
The study appears in the July issue of the Journal of Dentistry.
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