I went through a marathon of dental repairs last year starting at about this time, and I was expecting the bite on x-ray films (and was ready to request they use the smallest size – I have a keen memory), but found out they had gone digital as above. I hadn’t been to a dentist in a decade but my gag-reflex was tuned up and ready to go. We learned really quick how to deal with my issues. Generally things work much better if I place/adjust the sensor and I can remove the entire thing as soon as the shot is done. Likewise I concentrate on breathing (through my nose) as that helps hugely with not gagging (either on the equipment or the backed up saliva).
Also if you’re going to use local anesthetic, use LOTS. If you going to use a topical numbing agent for the injection site, use mint flavoured please (the pina colada flavour is totally vile). And, yeah, use a bite block or 1) my jaw muscles are going to go into seizure, and B) you WILL lose fingers.
I have to go back in June for a small repair; for all the good it will do, I am going to find out the name of the manufacturer and complain to them. Jeez, I wonder what the children’s version of that thing is like?
I had a full set of dental xrays done this year. I don’t remember having this type before, involving big blocks of razor-sharp plastic they jam halfway down your throat. They actually had to numb me to get me through this, and it took forever, as they minutely adjusted things for multiple xrays of each tooth. It doesn’t help that I have a small mouth. Every dentist I’ve been to always has to resort to child-sized xray thingies.
I think they call them “bite wing” x-rays because they bite big hunks out of the inside of your mouth!
For those with an over-active gag reflex, there is a spray anesthetic the dentist can use. My mother would start retching as soon as she scheduled the appointment, and the gag reflex problem only got worse as she got older. She had a very sympathetic, gentle dentist who said, “Oh, we can take care of that!” and used the anesthetic spray. She refused to let ANYONE touch her without that spray!
If your gag reflex is completely out of control, or if you have developed an actual phobia about dental work, find a dentist who uses general anesthesia.
The last job my husband had in the Army before retiring was a facilitator at the main dental clinic at Fort Knox. There were some soldiers who were batshit terrified about dentists, and they were sent to the hospital for general anesthesia, even for exams, x-rays, or cleanings.
~VOW
Just recently I went back to my dentist for a crown that had fallen out. I hadn’t been there for several years and he’s converted to digital in the interim (I never had problems with standard x-rays). The only problem I had was that for one image the assistant in training placed the plastic holder so that it dug into the floor of my mouth. I let them know what was happening, and the supervising assistant fixed it.