Mold for braces make me gag?!
Question: im getting the molds tommorow 4/7/08 and i gag ALOT. like when i go for them to clean my teath i gag. when i smell something funny i gag. and i herd some of my friends that have braces say that they gaged alot and its no fun. what can do from not gaging........................and i kinda need answers today
Answers: im getting the molds tommorow 4/7/08 and i gag ALOT. like when i go for them to clean my teath i gag. when i smell something funny i gag. and i herd some of my friends that have braces say that they gaged alot and its no fun. what can do from not gaging........................and i kinda need answers today
Oh I HATED that! I gag way too easy too. So you are not alone. I gag when I get my teeth cleaned too. haha
When I had it done, I moved to much from gagging, I had to have my bottom mold done OVER again. Which was my worst.
But here is some advice.
1. First when they put in the mold, try and keep your tongue as far away from the mold. The taste is nasty too.
2. Try breathing through your mouth. At least you won't smell it.
3. Keep your mind on something else.
Just follow that you it won't be that bad.
But remember, YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT. Trust me, if you gag, they won't take it out. It really isn't in there that long. So if you gag, just don't move.
And so you know, most people gag when they get the mold. So you are not alone.
Im like you i gag about every thing and there wasnt much i could do to keep from gagging i even was so bad i bit the girl who did my molds, but to help the person out tell them striagh out that you gag really bad tell them that when you get your teeth cleaned you gag. good luck!
I got my molds done about a week ago and i just got spacers on Fri. I don't gag alot, but honestly even if you do you prlly wont gag. all they do is have this tray for the top and bottom of your teeth. They put this disgusting goo on it and it feels like yogurt. When they do the top, they make you look down while they push up on your teeth. and the same for the bottom except the other way around. then they put this other goo ontop of your teeth and you just bite down. There shouldn't be any reason for you to gag.
I'm a dentist.
There are a few things that can be done, but none of them are guaranteed to make you completely comfortable.
The first thing you can do is ask the doctor's office to give you a couple of trays to take home and practice putting in your mouth. If you do it several times a day, it may help you become more comfortable with having such a large object in your mouth.
If the doctor's office has nitrous-oxide (laughing gas) available, take it. While it doesn't completely eliminate one's gag reflex, it does attenuate it.
Also, you might ask the doctor if he/she would consider prescribing you a benzodiazepine (such as lorazepam, diazepam, or alprazolam, also known as Ativan, Valium, and Xanax, respectively). While benzos tend to decrease gag reflex only at higher doses--i.e. doses higher than your orthodontist or general dentist would be willing to prescribe for you--I generally find that their anxiolytic (i.e. anti-anxiety) properties do help control gagging.
Finally, there are various spray-form topical anesthetics the doctor's office might have. Hurricaine comes to mind, as does Cetacaine. When sprayed on your palate and uvula, their sensitivity to contact with foreign objects (such as impression materials) is decreased and patients are generally less likely to gag.
One other item to mention here--a non-pharmacologic solution that often offers some help. When the impression materials are placed in your mouth, raise your left leg into the air and hold it there, and simultaneously wiggle the toes on your right foot. I won't tell you why this works. You'll just have to trust me.
Good luck.
It's common for people with a strong gag reflex to gag during quite a few dental procedures. You gag from the tactile stimulation (touch) of the back of the tongue or the soft palate.
Warn the person doing your impressions (molds) ahead of time that you have a tendency to gag, and they'll help you through it.
Some suggestions are: placing salt on the tip of the tongue to 'confuse' the taste buds and make your gag reflex less strong; focus on something other than the procedure... a spot on the wall, a ceiling tile, anything that will make you think about something else; lift your leg off the floor and keep it up while they do the impression. This is a very common technique that seems to help a lot. Lastly, concentrate on your breathing. The gag reflex CANNOT work while you breathe....you have to stop breathing for a few seconds in order to gag. Breathe through your nose loud enough that you can hear it... and you won't gag.
I hope this helps and I wish you luck!