Investigation the opinion of dentist and managment of the gag reflex in their dental practics

Abstract

Introduction The gag reflex is a normal mechanism. Approximately 74% of people have a high-intensity gag reflex and 8.2% of dental patients suffered from it. The contractions of orofacial mussels can lead to problems during the clinical stages, poor treatment outcomes. Many strategies have been used to control the strong gag reflex, but they have variable success and multiple methods may need to be applied until the right technique is found for an individual. Aim The aim of the present study is to investigate the opinion of Bulgarian dentist and their management with patients with severe gag reflex. Materials and Methods A total number of 155 dentists filled a questionnaire. The survey was conducted via electronic environment through Google forms. The statistical analysis was done with the IBM SPSS Version 26. Results The majority of the 155 participants surveyed were general practitioners of dental medicine (85.8%), specialists in prosthetic dentistry (7.1%), and the smallest proportion of them had another acquired specialty (0.6%). Тhe majority (83.9%) indicated that they had patients who exhibited an enhanced gag reflex and none negative responses. Patient’s visits with gag reflex visits affect the work schedule. They use antiemetic drugs (57%), local anesthesia is less used (19 %), infiltration anesthesia 47 (30.72%) and general anesthesia (5.88%) to manage the gag reflex. Аthough this strategies the gag reflex has not been overcome in most cases. Conclusion From the present study it can be concluded that gag reflex is an actual problem. The skill of the dental practitioner is a great responsibility for controlling the difficulty situation and for conducting treatment with satisfactory results for the patient.