You’ve probably heard that using toothpaste and other toothpaste products can cause gagging. While this may not seem like something you would want to do, there are certain circumstances when it may be a good idea to use it. That’s because toothpaste and other toothpaste products have ingredients that can lead to effects that are similar to those caused by vomiting or excessive drooling. So while they won’t cause you to gag as much as some of the other things you might try using as a replacement, they may still be worth looking out for in case you end up gagging when you use them.
Why does toothpaste make me gag?
The most common cause of toothpaste gag is that it’s made with harsh chemicals that can irritate the throat. Some people find that the toothpaste makes them gag because it contains ingredients such as aluminum, benzalkonium chloride, flaky particles, propylene glycol, sorbitol, and xylitol.
What Is The Cause Of Gagging?
1. Vomiting
Food that is indigestible never really goes down easily and if we take wrong actions during our routine meal sessions, sometimes the stomach presses against the top of our throat and it may feel like we will throw up. Vomiting may also be the only way that your body can expel toxic substances. So for such people, it is crucial to find out what triggers their urge to vomit.
2. Dry Throat and eating dry food
Foods like breadsticks, biscuits, and vegetables like carrots and potato chips have very little moisture content. They may cause a dry sensation in your throat resulting from the lack of hydration. You may also be thirsty or nauseous and these sensations usually result in people gagging or vomiting. Some medicines also aggravate this problem.
3. Dry Mouth Sensations:
Excessive saliva shortage is also related to gagging when it comes to eating food meals or taking medicine; you might feel that you are losing valuable liquids resulting in a feeling that there is something stuck down your throat! Dry mouth sensations can be caused by several factors including poor oral health conditions, dehydration, and aging among other factors. Cold beverages are not only thirst quenching but they relieve too! Using toothpaste can reduce these feelings; remember the use of too much toothpaste can cause sore throats so use the right amount according to your tastes! For excess thirst try adding slices of lemon juice for its alkaline effect!
4. Tongue Block:
Giardiasis is a common condition where chronic friends digesting said certain foods (eg/ potato salad combined with low fiber foods). People usually gag because the tongue gets blocked up. A dry sense comes from this from central nervous causes, thinking about past personal experiences or just tiredness, etc.
How To Deal With Gagging When Using Toothpaste And Other Products?
1.Toothpaste
If you gag or have a cough when using toothpaste, make sure you spit it out and rinse your mouth with water to make sure you don’t swallow too much toothpaste. If this problem worsens, try taking the toothpaste to your pharmacist for a recommendation on another brand that may not cause the problem.
2. Mouthwash
Mouthwashes with alcohol can cause burning of the mouth and throat making them hard to swallow, and causing one “to gag.” (Payton 1996) A diabetic may gag because they are using sweeteners or need more insulin (Kim 2010). The diabetic must be careful “not to gag” while drinking fluids. Fluids that contain sugar should be avoided whenever possible because of the risks of dehydration, hypoglycemia, and weight gain (Kim 2010).
3. Dentures
Dentures are made of plastic or a more natural material such as acrylic. Gum tissue can have an allergic reaction to the acrylic, causing swelling and pain. If you wear dentures, they may need to be relined (a new layer of putty is applied) or adjusted with sore gums in mind.
4. Mouth Sores
Saliva is rich in antibodies that help fight off germs and other foreign substances in your mouth. When your mouth sores are irritated, less saliva is produced causing the mouth to dry. A dry mouth can lead to gagging when you eat or drink something that causes discomfort such as harsh toothpaste or hot beverage/food items. (https://www.utahfoodbank.org)
5. Medications
Medication side effects can increase saliva production, which the body treats as a foreign substance, and causes dry mouth. A dry mouth can lead to gagging when you eat or drink something that causes discomfort such as harsh toothpaste or hot beverage/food items.
The Best Way To Use Toothpaste
Choose the proper toothpaste.
Just like there are many different brands of toothpaste, so are there different brands of mouthwash. Most people prefer a whitening product for a bright smile, and a charcoal/bioceramic in order to help remove plaque and stains from teeth. The type of brush that you use will make a difference as to which kind of products you use.
Use Pastes:
They work faster than toothpaste because they do not need to be rinsed off or brushed on the teeth. They are also more gentle because they often contain gel or soft foams. Even when they contain abrasive particles, these particle sizes do not cause damage to the enamel on your teeth. On the other hand, toothpaste must be washed away before eating or drinking anything that may irritate your gums and cause burning of the mouth (such as hot coffee). Toothpaste can also contain certain ingredients such as fluoride which is essential for dental health by strengthening teeth and reducing dental cavities (Payton 1996).
Use Floss:
Some people find floss much easier to chew than toothpaste because it does not have any abrasives in it but rather acts as an “adhesive” for removing plaque from between teeth. Floss doesn’t actually remove stains from your teeth like a paste does but can help prevent them from forming by removing bacteria that may cause bad breath (Payton 1996). Also, many materials used in making floss are much gentler on the gums, especially if they contain mint or other cooling agents.
Brush with Brushing:
There are many kinds of electric toothbrushes that have been marketed to individuals who have difficulty brushing. These brushes have dozens of tiny bristles, each with a unique shape that helps brush the teeth and clean them by removing bacteria and plaque. Some of these brushes incorporate whitening products into their cleansers in order to make your teeth even brighter for a healthier smile (Payton 1996).
Dip Toothbrush:
This method involves placing toothpaste on the toothbrush before use. The advantage is there is no actual brushing involved. Also, since the brush head is dipped in toothpaste it can be used on more surfaces than a brush without cleaning it (Payton 1996).
Brush After Eating:
As you know at the end of a meal, we usually try to get rid of things in our mouth because when we do this it takes about 10 minutes for our saliva glands to return to the resting phase (Payton 1996). During this time other bacterial growth can occur because there are no nutrients getting into our mouths which will cause bad breath or gagging as discussed earlier (Kathleen O’Grady 1994). So after eating we should always brush/rinse our mouths.
Brush Before Bed:
As we’ve been discussing, eating and drinking at a certain time will delay saliva production to its lowest level. This event may also cause tooth decay in many people especially if they have some other health issues. If you brush your teeth before bed, you can make sure that bacteria do not have time to form on your teeth and just be brushed off (Payton 1996).
What Can Cause Gagging When Using Toothpaste And Other Products?
1) Mechanical obstruction:
If a mechanical obstruction, like a tooth, is blocking the way for the salivary glands to release their saliva when we use toothpaste and other products then it can cause gagging. This can be caused by having a fractured or fractured tooth. There are also problems with tooth root canals or fillings that have not been removed properly so that the roots of your teeth are not fully exposed but are clogged with plaque (Kathleen O’Grady).
2) pH Levels:
Many people who have sensitive mouths may experience gagging because of the bad smells of some commercial ingredients in products. Although some dentists recommend using toothpaste with 0.2% sodium lauryl sulfate because it is an excellent foaming agent that reduces foaming and provides a better cleaning sensation, other studies show that this ingredient may increase irritations such as mouth ulcers, sore throats, and burning sensations (Payton 1996).
3) Tooth sensitivity:
Molar teeth often exhibit sensitivity; areas where many people experience pain when they rub their lips against their molars (Payton 1996). Since these areas are covered in soft tissue, they often feel it when brushing there with toothpaste which can cause discomfort and trigger gagging responses (Pfister 2007).
4) Effect of high gravity foods like ice cream:
While eating high-gravity food we may feel pain in our molars – especially if we brush too hard against these areas with our teeth (Dental Trends 2010). This can increase sensitivity to biting and gagging (Dental Trends 2010).
5) A buildup of food/piece of food in the mouth:
Food particles can easily clog the grinding surfaces. There are many studies showing that a meal can lead someone to experience a gag reflex (Dental Trends 2010). When eating, especially if the bite is chopped or crushed the chewing mechanics and tactile stimulus can cause gagging while brushing (Pfister 2007).
6) Wallerian degeneration:
Wallerian degeneration affects the nerves that control our muscle spindle, which is responsible for triggering saliva production. Any nerve damage will lower the Wallerian portion of our salivary glands which mainly correlate with taste buds, as well as trigger a gag response it (Grady 1994).
7) Losartan:
Losartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, helps to dilate these salivary glands and increase saliva flow. This effect has been proven in small studies involving healthy volunteers who have been given small doses of losartan orally prior to toothbrushing which has led to increased saliva flow after about 75 minutes post- brushing. These results suggest that more research is needed before losartan should be used as a treatment for gagging from toothbrushing (Grady 1994).
Conclusion
Knowing why toothpaste may cause gagging can help you better manage your child’s tooth brushing routine. While many kinds of toothpaste on the market claim to be safe, effective, and budget-friendly, there are a few kinds of toothpaste that may contain ingredients that cause gagging. Keep in mind that different kinds of toothpaste have different ingredients and may cause gagging in different situations. Look for toothpaste with low sodium, low sugar, and no artificial flavorings.
