Braces off and very scared. will i gag with my retainer?!
Question: Hello! I'm getting my braces off in about a month and i am terrified! i have a TERRIBLE gag reflex and i throw up at about everything. I'm terrified for the impressions and retainer. will i gag putting the retainer in and wearing it? I'm getting a Hawley retainer. help please?! i havent been able to sleep i am so scared. im not so scared about getting th braces off but im scared for the impressions and retainer. my ortho knows i have a strong gag reflex and so he let me not have the braces impression and got what he needed from x-rays but i know i need the impressions for the retainer. any advice or past expieriences?!?!??!?! help please! by the way i am a VERY scared and worried 13 year ol. i am scared of about everything and i have anxiety. HELP!
Answers: Hello! I'm getting my braces off in about a month and i am terrified! i have a TERRIBLE gag reflex and i throw up at about everything. I'm terrified for the impressions and retainer. will i gag putting the retainer in and wearing it? I'm getting a Hawley retainer. help please?! i havent been able to sleep i am so scared. im not so scared about getting th braces off but im scared for the impressions and retainer. my ortho knows i have a strong gag reflex and so he let me not have the braces impression and got what he needed from x-rays but i know i need the impressions for the retainer. any advice or past expieriences?!?!??!?! help please! by the way i am a VERY scared and worried 13 year ol. i am scared of about everything and i have anxiety. HELP!
The best thing you can do is relax. I know that's easier said than done, but when they take the impression for your retainer, stay relaxed and breathe through your nose. Don't focus on the tray, the impression material, or how long you THINK it's going to take.
You have to remember...those assistants take impressions on people all day long, and they know what they're doing. They might have you rinse with Listerine or something else to help numb your mouth and throat. If they use warmer water, the impression will set up much faster (as little as 10 seconds) and be over quicker. And they know the best ways to place the trays to avoid triggering your reflex.
That said...it happens. It's a necessary evil, and if even after doing everything right you still gag, so be it. You'll have a bib on for the impression, and clean up is a breeze. You won't be the first person to struggle with your impression, and you won't be the last. Eat a light breakfast/lunch, and I'd recommend NOT bringing anyone back with you (believe it or not, it only makes you more nervous about the situation if someone you know is there to watch).
Focus on breathing through your nose and staying calm, and it'll be over before you know it.
As for the retainer itself, the orthodontist can have the Hawley designed so that it's more of a horseshoe shape rather than covering the whole roof of your mouth. That's usually enough to keep you comfortable. Even with that, it'll take some getting used to, but it only takes time.
Good luck!
I hope you dont gag but its not impossible to not gag
I don't think so. I have had a retainer time after time, like the Hawley. I doubt that you will gag. I only wear mine when I sleep, though, because it will break or I will loose it if I wear it anywhere. But no, I have never gagged on any of my retainers before.