The effectiveness of psychological interventions for the management of gagging among dental patients: a scoping review

TY - JOUR

T1 - The effectiveness of psychological interventions for the management of gagging among dental patients

T2 - a scoping review

AU - O´Donald, Freddie

AU - Smith, Molly

AU - Sevier-Guy, Lindsay Jo

AU - Heffernan, Abigail

N1 - Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025/10/17

Y1 - 2025/10/17

N2 - Introduction: A sensitive gag reflex can significantly hinder patient dental care, and the optimal management strategy remains uncertain. Psychological interventions, such as systematic desensitisation, hypnotherapy, and relaxation techniques, have been explored as potential solutions. This scoping review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions in managing the gag reflex in dental settings.Methods: We systematically searched four electronic databases up to June 2024. Two reviewers screened and assessed articles, and relevant data were extracted on the delivery and outcomes of psychological interventions for managing gagging in dental settings.Results: Eight studies involving 14 participants met the inclusion criteria. The psychological interventions examined included systematic desensitisation, hypnotherapy, and relaxation techniques, with an average intervention of five sessions over 19.3 weeks. All patients tolerated dental treatments post-intervention, and 87.5% reported an absence of gagging. No adverse effects were reported.Conclusions: These findings suggest that psychological interventions hold promise in managing sensitive gag reflexes in dental patients. However, further research with standardised outcomes and larger sample sizes is needed to confirm their effectiveness. Additionally, further work is required to clarify when it is appropriate for dental staff to deliver these interventions themselves or refer patients to psychologists for specialised care.

AB - Introduction: A sensitive gag reflex can significantly hinder patient dental care, and the optimal management strategy remains uncertain. Psychological interventions, such as systematic desensitisation, hypnotherapy, and relaxation techniques, have been explored as potential solutions. This scoping review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions in managing the gag reflex in dental settings.Methods: We systematically searched four electronic databases up to June 2024. Two reviewers screened and assessed articles, and relevant data were extracted on the delivery and outcomes of psychological interventions for managing gagging in dental settings.Results: Eight studies involving 14 participants met the inclusion criteria. The psychological interventions examined included systematic desensitisation, hypnotherapy, and relaxation techniques, with an average intervention of five sessions over 19.3 weeks. All patients tolerated dental treatments post-intervention, and 87.5% reported an absence of gagging. No adverse effects were reported.Conclusions: These findings suggest that psychological interventions hold promise in managing sensitive gag reflexes in dental patients. However, further research with standardised outcomes and larger sample sizes is needed to confirm their effectiveness. Additionally, further work is required to clarify when it is appropriate for dental staff to deliver these interventions themselves or refer patients to psychologists for specialised care.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105019181725

U2 - 10.1038/s41415-025-8861-6

DO - 10.1038/s41415-025-8861-6

M3 - Article

C2 - 41107571

AN - SCOPUS:105019181725

SN - 0007-0610

JO - British Dental Journal

JF - British Dental Journal

ER -