Causes of the gag reflex when brushing your teeth

Reasons for the development of the gag reflex

The reasons for the appearance of a gag reflex when caring for the oral cavity are:

Pregnancy. Women often experience unusual reactions during this period. The taste of the paste can cause severe nausea and make you feel unwell.
Stress. The body in this condition may not respond correctly to irritants, including brushing teeth, using mouthwash, toothpaste or floss.
Smell. The care products have a sharp, pronounced aroma. These scents are not suitable for everyone, especially for some specific ingredients.
Taste. This characteristic of cleaning products is also not suitable for everyone. The only option is an individual choice of composition with an optimal, tolerable taste.
Mechanical impact. Brushes with different types of bristles can irritate the mucous membrane, causing a gag reflex.
Fluorine. This element provides protection to the enamel, but it is what causes nausea in many people.

Causes

There are many factors that can trigger the gag reflex. Some of them are fraught with only unpleasant sensations, while others should not be ignored.

Eliminated reasons:

Toxicosis during pregnancy.
Intolerance to exotic scents.
Rich menthol taste.
Stressful situations.
Rejection reaction to fluoride.
Mechanical irritation due to improper use of the brush.
Lack of sleep and chronic fatigue.
Foamy paste.
Inflammation of the tonsils.
Smoking. The nicotine coating dissolves and provokes vomiting.

The reasons listed are temporary. After eliminating them, the person will instantly feel relief.

The urge to vomit increases with problems with nasal breathing and gastrointestinal pathologies. The memory of an unpleasant experience of dental treatment in adults can provoke persistent fear and cause a reflexive reaction of the body to triggers: the smell of toothpaste or the sight of dental appliances.

It is not uncommon for the provoking factor to be dental pathologies: gingivitis, stomatitis, carious lesions or periodontitis. With these diseases, the reflex part of the base of the tongue becomes sensitive. Bleeding gums during periodontitis provokes an unpleasant taste in the mouth and nausea. Qualified dental treatment will resolve the problem.

For tonsillitis, consultation with an otolaryngologist is required.

If gagging and nausea begin to appear regularly, and not just during oral hygiene, it is worth undergoing a full medical examination.

Stages

Nausea when brushing your teeth is usually a defensive reaction that is triggered by an irritant, for example, the strong taste of toothpaste. The mechanism of development is quite simple - when cleaning, discomfort is felt, while the person looks at himself in the mirror. A signal is sent to the brain and a reaction develops in the form of vomiting to eliminate the irritant.

The reflex develops through four stages:

the condition worsens, irritability, fatigue appear, and there is a urge to vomit;
nausea develops;
after vomiting there is relief;
in the intervals between deteriorations, the person feels normal.

If a child is sick

In children, there are other causes of nausea during dental hygiene. Difficulties can be created by an unsuccessful visit to the dental clinic, which provokes anxiety and stress in the child during the hygiene procedure.

Talking in a calm tone can help. The child should be explained that brushing teeth is not painful, but is necessary only to avoid frequent visits to the dental clinic.

When teaching your child to perform daily hygiene procedures, you should not put undue pressure on him. At the first stage, it is permissible to spend a small amount of time cleaning to create comfortable conditions. Violent actions will only make the problem worse.

Hygiene procedures should be taught in a playful way. So, the child will join the game “Who can brush it better” or “Let’s count the teeth with a brush.” Over time, he will stop being afraid and get used to the hygienic procedure if it is carried out together with his parents.

Vomiting during pregnancy

Women often experience similar difficulties during pregnancy. Since toxicosis in expectant mothers is a typical phenomenon, the cause of nausea can be any event (smell, taste, and even a visual image). In such a situation, toothpaste with a high fluoride content is a significant irritant.

If a pregnant woman eats before a hygienic cleansing procedure, she will reduce the sensitivity of the olfactory receptors. It is also necessary to find a toothpaste with the least amount of fluoride. There are products with fruit flavors or based on medicinal herbs.

To cope with the urge to nausea during a hygiene procedure, you need to rinse your mouth, straighten up and take a few deep breaths.

It is believed that if a pregnant woman can cope with this situation at an early stage of toxicosis, she will develop immunity to this irritant.

Elimination methods

To eliminate the gag reflex, you need to find out the cause, and then take actions aimed at eliminating it. Methods to combat the gag reflex:

replacing toothpaste with a composition with a different flavor, for example, mint paste with a product with a fruit flavor;
replacing a brush with a different stiffness and type of bristles;
When cleaning, do not touch the area of the tongue, when pressed, a reflex appears;
Do not press the brush against the buccal mucosa.

If the vomiting effect is accompanied by pain and other unpleasant sensations, it is recommended to visit a doctor. There is a possibility that the condition is caused by soft tissue diseases and the need to treat pathology.

In children, this condition is caused by stress or fear of the cleaning procedure. The child needs to be reassured and oral care should be started in the form of an exciting game that will not cause fear.

Tips for coping with nausea

To correct this unpleasant situation, you can try the following:

Replace your toothbrush with a softer one.
Change the paste to a different composition.
During the cleaning process, try to avoid particularly sensitive areas of the tongue and gums.
Before the procedure, rinse your mouth with a solution of peppermint.
Chew a piece of lemon immediately after waking up.
Carry out a deep breathing technique: take three deep breaths and exhale through your nose. Breathe deeply and slowly while cleaning.
Prepare yourself psychologically for cleansing: distract yourself with thoughts about something important or positive, try not to think about possible nausea.

It is quite possible to get rid of nausea while brushing your teeth if you find out the reasons for its occurrence. If the vomiting reaction is associated with pregnancy, then this is a temporary phenomenon that will certainly pass on its own.

Causes of vomiting

In most cases, vomiting is caused by irritation of the stomach receptors or, in medical terms, has a visceral

origin. The cause is most often acute or chronic diseases of the stomach itself (acute food poisoning, gastritis, stomach ulcers, food allergies). Also, stomach receptors can react to diseases of other organs - the gallbladder, uterus, heart (vomiting is part of the complex of possible symptoms of myocardial infarction).

Vomiting may also be central

origin, that is, caused by pathologies of the central nervous system (brain), such as meningitis, encephalitis, trauma and brain tumors. Vomiting is quite common during migraines. Inner ear problems can also lead to vomiting (in this case, vomiting may occur along with dizziness). If the receptors of the inner ear are excessively irritated (with motion sickness), even a healthy person can vomit, especially if the vestibular apparatus is not trained. Sometimes vomiting is caused by emotional distress (stress) or is a reaction to something that causes extreme disgust (conditioned vomiting).

Irritation of the vomiting center can be caused by toxic substances carried by the bloodstream ( hematogenous-toxic

vomit). Toxic substances can enter the body from the outside (for example, chlorine or carbon monoxide through inhalation), or they can be produced in the body itself as a result of impaired liver or kidney function.

Comments

When I brush my teeth, I often experience a gag reflex. But once there was even vomiting of blood, how dangerous is this and can it indicate pathologies in the body?

Rita (02/25/2019 at 01:42 pm) Reply to comment

Editorial staff of the portal UltraSmile.ru (02/28/2019 at 10:38 am) Reply to comment

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Little secrets for all patients with a gag reflex

At the doctor’s appointment and at home:

If you know you are prone to a gag reflex, do not eat anything 2-3 hours before your dental appointment.
Make an appointment for the afternoon. It was noted that in the morning the sensitivity of the reflex was increased.
The ability to breathe fully through your nose will greatly reduce the likelihood of a reflex. Use drops or solutions to rinse before use if necessary.
Breathe! Breathe! Breathe! At the slightest approach of the reflex, rhythmically inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Just as it is impossible to breathe and swallow at the same time, the gag reflex does not occur simultaneously with breathing.
Try humming or humming sounds, this will create a continuous flow of air and prevent the reflex.
Retrain the reflex: methodically, day after day, train placing objects (a toothbrush, a teaspoon) in your mouth deeper and deeper. Press them against the palate in the area of the front teeth, gradually moving to the distant areas. On average, two weeks are enough to reduce or completely get rid of the reflex.
Retraining or an appointment with a doctor will be easier if you actively distract yourself during the procedure: listen to music, watch TV, take ice in your hands, clench your fist tightly (twist the fig quietly), let your attention switch from one problem area to another. Some people find it helpful to sprinkle a few grains of salt on their tongue before the procedure. Or rinse your mouth with salted water. We need to try all the options!
Learn to relax. Talk to the doctor. Find out all the issues that may bother you or cause anxiety. Tell us about your previous treatment experience, when the reflex appeared, and what causes it. A trusting relationship and an understanding of what is happening will help you feel comfortable and the doctor to avoid procedures that are unpleasant for you.

Write a comment

Olga
June 24, 2022 at 5:43 am
During pregnancy, gagging pain several times. The first time when I did not yet know about my “interesting” situation. In such cases, I quickly spat everything out and rinsed my mouth with cold water. And she splashed cold water on her face for a long time. So I alternated: now I rinse, now I splash. It “stood through” several times, and then somehow it passed. And I didn't have to change the paste. True, I periodically brush with tooth powder.
Alina
June 25, 2022 at 6:17 am
Previously, about eight years ago, I had the same urge to vomit when brushing my teeth. But now I don’t suffer from such a problem. I don’t even know what they were about or why they passed. I think it was the toothbrush that caused it. For several years now I have been using the simplest, cheapest Colgate brush. Although before that I bought expensive ones that were advertised on TV. So, more expensive does not mean better.
Julia
June 27, 2022 at 6:34 am
I had such a problem when the toothpaste did not suit me, it had a strange aroma and taste. It was simply impossible to brush my teeth, especially in the morning. Only I had this problem, my husband was fine, there was no problem with the toothpaste. I solved the problem by simply buying a new one, there was no unpleasant aftertaste and there was no such unpleasant feeling anymore.
Anna
June 28, 2022 at 10:22 am
A gag reflex can occur if you brush your teeth incorrectly or too far away. Nowadays, very often on the back of a toothbrush there are special teeth for cleaning the tongue or palate, and it is precisely because of them that such unpleasant sensations appear. You don’t need to clean your tongue too far, rather the tip and that’s it, I think it’s definitely not worth torturing your body like that.
Dasha
June 30, 2022 at 1:35 pm
It is very easy to understand why such a reflex occurs, everything is quite logical. This problem does not have a cumulative effect, so you can draw a conclusion immediately. Of course, if the gagging effect appeared after you changed your toothpaste or toothbrush, then you need to pay attention to this. Perhaps this problem appeared after you started brushing your teeth more thoroughly.
Alex
July 5, 2022 at 1:25 pm
Nausea is caused by any toothpaste and even by mixing thermal power plant water into the water for rinsing teeth. The only salvation is an old tooth powder that I accidentally found.

When should you see a doctor if you are vomiting?

Vomit

- in many cases, a sign that the body is experiencing serious problems and needs cleansing, and therefore, most likely, treatment. If the disease is accompanied by vomiting, this usually indicates that the disease is quite severe.

If the attack of vomiting was a one-time occurrence and there is reason to believe that it was caused by overeating, motion sickness, alcohol poisoning or stress, there is no direct need to consult a doctor. In all other cases, consultation with a doctor is necessary. Especially if attacks are repeated for two days or more, as well as in the presence of diabetes mellitus or other chronic diseases.

Sometimes vomiting requires emergency treatment. You should call an ambulance if:

vomiting is accompanied by constant or severe abdominal pain;
there are repeated bouts of vomiting after a head injury;
along with vomiting, dehydration, dry mouth, and increased urination are observed;
with deterioration of mental and functional activity in older people;
there is blood in the vomit (for example, impurities in the form of “coffee grounds”).

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