I have a very strong gag reflex. In fact, I can’t even eat certain foods because the texture makes me gag. This has kept me from the dentist. Now I have a pimple on my gums that is causing massive pain. My doctor said it was a dental issue. How can I get treatment for this if I pretty much gag until I vomit every time I go?
Cynthia
Dear Cynthia,
I’m glad you wrote. First, your doctor is right. That pimple on your gums means that you have an abscessed tooth. It’s infected. If left untreated, not only will it become a dental emergency, but it could also turn life-threatening. When people ignore tooth infections they spread. Even in the twenty-first century, we still have people die because the did not get their tooth infection dealt with.
What you don’t want to do is try to treat this with an antibiotic. It will not “cure” a tooth infection. The most it will do is hold it at bay until the medicine runs out and then it will return with vengeance. There are two treatments for an infected tooth: a root canal treatment or a tooth extraction.
The root canal treatment is the ideal because it saves not only your tooth, but the expense of having to get a tooth replacement, such as a dental implant.
Knowing that, of course, does not solve your problem. With a strong gag reflex, I suggest you see a sedation dentist. I do not think you need to see a dentist who wants to give you the type of sedation that will knock you out all day. Instead, I would use nitrous oxide. The is painlessly administered with a gas you’ll breath in with a nose piece (see the image above). Patients with gag reflexes have found this simple addition to their treatment to eliminate the problem. Then, when your procedure is over, your dentist can switch the nitrous back to oxygen and you are good to on with the remainder of your day as you please. You can even drive yourself home.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.