Treating Patients With a Gag Reflex

Are you a person that struggles with a gag reflex especially at the dentist office? Here is a case that might encourage you. A root canal was started by a referring dentist, who was unable to complete treatment due to the patient’s severe gag reflex. We couldn’t get a good pre-op radiograph, so we used a cropped sagittal CBCT slice. With IV sedation, we were able to successfully complete treatment. The mesial canals were ledged apically, so the sealer patency is from the Fotana laser use not by mechanical instrumentation. So even though this patient had exaggerated gag reflex that caused distress, we were able to continue effective treatment with these methods and complete their dental care.