title: Acupuncture/acupressure to treat gagging dental patients: a clinical study of anti-gagging effects.
abstract: Noninvasive methods advocated by some clinicians are not very successful in dealing with patient gagging, while sedation approaches run the risk of the patient aspirating foreign bodies. The P-6 Neikuan acupuncture point, located on the wrist, has been used in the Far East for thousands of years for its anti-nausea and anti-anxiety properties. In the West, it is the acupuncture point most studied. Only recently has interest been shown in the P-6 point for its possible anti-gagging effect. The anti-gagging effect of P-6 stimulation is documented in this article. The P-6 point has remarkable anti-gagging effects if stimulation is applied correctly. Clinicians may apply thumb pressure at the P-6 point to achieve some effect, although this is not as effective as acupuncture. Nevertheless, a substantial percentage of gagging patients would be able to go through dental procedures without gagging when the P-6 point is stimulated.
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D019050:Acupressure; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D003729:Dental Care; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005683:Gagging / Q000502:physiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010919:Placebos; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014953:Wrist
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos