![]() ![]() The flavor of the salt works to stimulate the patient’s taste receptors, which acts as a distraction for their gag reflex. Clinicians may either pour salt onto their gloved hand and sprinkle it over the tongue or use a cotton-tipped applicator to apply the salt. Celiac disease: How dental professionals can helpĪnother old practice for managing a gagging patient is to place simple table salt on the patient’s tongue.Acidic drinks and teeth: What to tell patients.For others, however, it can have little-to-no effect. For a significant number of patients, this simple method works well to calm fears and distract the mind. One popular supplement to basic nasal breathing is instructing the patient to wiggle their toes while waiting for the procedure to end. Telling patients to take long, deep diaphragmatic breaths in and out through the nose can help them from feeling like they are being suffocated while their mouth is full of dental equipment. One of the most traditional approaches for managing gagging is to coach the patient through focused breathing while we run to push the x-ray button or count down the minutes for the alginate to set during impressions. Some of these hacks are considered tried-and-true, while others are newer trends in the operatory. In this installment of Clinical Hacks, we will focus on the best ways to overcome patient gagging-whether you’re taking x-rays, impressions, or performing instrumentation. While there are varying theories explaining why these patients struggle to fight the urge to violently cough, choke, and heave in the dental chair, we’ll save that discussion for another time. It doesn’t matter what your clinical role is in the practice we’ve all dealt with patients who, despite their best efforts, have an overactive gag reflex. ![]()
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