Gag Rule

Eleven AM yesterday, March 2nd, 2012, I got my third set of teeth
I grew the first two myself
And if I hadn't misused them, I would not have to have set three
But that's another tale
For another email

My instructions are to wear them “for a while”
And keep them out “for a while”
I can drink liquids and eat soft food
Easy enough since that's been my diet for the past two years

I was told I would get sore spots in my mouth
(“where else” I wondered)

From 11AM to midnight I wore the teeth 8 hours
I wonder why I refer to them as “wearing them”
To all of you who are not me (which I hear number in the thousands)
they are me
Anyway this morning I have sore spots
Not real painful but indicators where adjustments need to be made

Yesterday I had a cup of tea with the new teeth in
Weird feeling
Warm cup, warm liquid on the lips, then nothing
Until the liquid gets past the appliances,
then a hot liquid in the back of my mouth
I was warned and did not drink the tea at the real hot temperature
I usually do.

It was difficult to swallow
One problem I have had with dental activity is my “gag reflex”
It easily triggered
I have been told at each visit that I would get used to it
I've gone online and learned that I am not alone with this issue
I copied the Wikipedia definition of the syndrome
And I copied an “Ask Yahoo” response on “the cure”
See below

Turns out the problem stems from my upper teeth
The way they stay in place is by a vacuum created by the part of the
teeth that is fitted to the upper pallet
So the deeper the appliance, the better the vacuum
And the resulting active gag reflex

I was not able to eat anything with the teeth in
So I gummed an omelette for dinner
(I make a mean avocado and cream cheese omelette)
You needn't worry - it is totally fat-free
If I keep in my teeth

I think I will end this missive now and go and put in my teeth
This chapter is going to take a while, so you will be hearing from me again
I will try and limit myself to once a week

Until we meet again, I shall try the dance steps we loved so much
while singing our favorite tune ...

Come here mama ... and dig this crazy scene
He's not too fancy ... but his teeth are pretty clean
He ain't no drag ...
Papa's got a brand new gag

We love you Wikipedia

The pharyngeal reflex or gag reflex is a reflex contraction of the back of the throat,[1] evoked by touching the soft palate or sometimes the back of the tongue. It prevents something from entering the throat except as part of normal swallowing and helps prevent choking. Different people have different sensitivities to the gag reflex.
 
The afferent limb of the reflex is supplied by the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX), which inputs to the nucleus solitarius and the spinal trigeminal nucleus, and the efferent limb is supplied by the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) from the nucleus ambiguus. Absence of the gag reflex and pharyngeal sensation can be a symptom of a number of severe medical conditions, such as damage to the glossopharyngeal nerve, the vagus nerve, or brain death. However, in one study, one-third of healthy people did not have a gag reflex, although pharyngeal sensation in these subjects remained intact.[2]
 
Swallowing unusually large objects or placing objects in the back of the mouth may cause the pharyngeal reflex. Some people, for instance sword swallowers, have learned how to suppress it. In contrast, triggering the reflex is sometimes done intentionally to induce vomiting, for example by those who suffer from bulimia nervosa.

Ask Yahoo

Hum - hard to gag and hum at the same time
 
Relax. The gag reflex is triggered by a combination of psychology and physiology. For some people, the psychology will play a larger role. Maybe you've had a traumatizing experience at a doctor or dentist's office in the past, or in general, you have a fear of loss of control. Communicate with the dentist or doctor, until you feel confident that they will back off if you ask them to - knowing that you're in control will help you relax. Some of the steps above, such as controlled breathing, will help. You may also want to practice some form of meditation. In more extreme situations, some people turn to hypnosis.
 
Disengage your gag reflex. By gradually getting your soft palate accustomed to being touched, you can minimize the gag reflex, or perhaps even get rid of it completely. This is the first step that sword swallowers must take[2] and it does require effort and patience over time.

gat
3/3/12 11:49pm