Anti-Gag Troche
Suppressing the Gag Reflex
The gag reflex can cause a patient considerable discomfort as well as interfere with dental procedures. An electrolyte tablet administered and retained intraorally a few minutes before the start of a procedure can suppress the gag reflex, allowing a mandibular block to be given with much greater ease, which further reduces the gagging reflex.
Tablets can be prescribed for home use for patients who can not properly perform oral hygiene procedures due to the gagging problem. Severe gaggers may need to repeat a dose in 15 to 20 minutes. (Dent Today. 1991 Dec;10(9):68-71)
Some patients and dentists prefer to use electrolyte lollipops.
Our compounding lab can make a variety of flavors that will appeal to kids and adults alike who have the gag reflex problem.
"Miracle Mouthwashes"
Compounding dental mouthwashes or rinses may offer numerous advantages over commercially available dosage forms. Elixirs, syrups, and suspensions often contain preservatives such as alcohol which can cause reactions or gastrointestinal irritation, orsugar which makes the preparation undesirable for prolonged use in the mouth or for diabetic patients. A customized preparation without unnecessary excipients - i.e., a sugar-free, dye-free, lactose-free, and preservative-free dosage form - can eliminate concerns of palatability, alcohol content, and dyes which may stain exposed mucosa.
Various preparations are also available to treat burning mouth syndrome and anesthetic/analgesic and antibiotic/anti-infective mouthwashes are commonly requested.
Tranexamic acid solution (4.8%) used as a mouthwash has been used successfully to prevent postsurgical bleeding after oral surgery without dose modification of oral anticoagulants.
Xerostomia
(aka dry mouth) is the condition of not having enough saliva to keep the mouth wet due to inadequate function of the salivary glands. Everyone has a dry mouth once in a while when they are nervous, upset or under stress. But if someone has a dry mouth all or most of the time, it can be uncomfortable and can lead to serious health problems. Dry mouth can cause difficulties in tasting, chewing, swallowing, and speaking. If it goes untreated, severe dry mouth can also lead to increased levels of tooth decay and infections of the mouth such as due to the lack of saliva (saliva cleans teeth)
Severe dry mouth is not a normal part of aging. It can be a clue to serious systemic diseases such as Sjogren syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, and hypothyroidism.
