How to Stop Your Gag Reflex: 6 Methods That Actually Work
Whether it's a dentist appointment, swallowing pills, brushing your teeth, or oral sex — a sensitive gag reflex can make routine things unnecessarily difficult.
The bad news: you can't eliminate your gag reflex completely. It's an involuntary protective mechanism, and it's hardwired into your nervous system for good reason.
The good news: you can reduce its sensitivity or block it temporarily. This article covers both — long-term training methods and in-the-moment techniques you can use right away.
Why Your Gag Reflex Is Hard to Control
The gag reflex is controlled by your glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves. When something touches the back of your tongue, soft palate, or throat, those nerves fire automatically — before your conscious brain has any say in the matter.
That's why "just relax" doesn't work as standalone advice. You're dealing with a reflex, not a choice.
The methods below work by either desensitizing those nerve pathways over time, interrupting the reflex in the moment, or temporarily blocking the signal altogether.
For a deeper dive on the anatomy, check out our article on what the gag reflex is and why you have one.
Long-Term Methods
These take time and consistency, but they can permanently reduce your gag reflex sensitivity.
1. Desensitization Training
This is the most reliable long-term approach. The idea is simple: gradually expose your trigger zones to stimulation so your nervous system stops overreacting.
How to do it:
- Use a soft toothbrush or your finger.
- Find the point on your tongue where you start to feel the urge to gag (usually the back third).
- Gently touch that spot for 10-15 seconds without pushing further.
- Repeat daily.
- Once that spot no longer triggers a response, move slightly further back.
- Continue over days or weeks until you've pushed your threshold back significantly.
What to expect: This isn't a one-week fix. Most people need 2-4 weeks of daily practice to see meaningful results. Some take longer.
Tips:
- Do it at the same time each day (like after brushing your teeth) so it becomes routine.
- Stay in the pre-gag zone. The goal is to train your nervous system that you're safe and in control — not at risk of choking. If you push through and actually trigger gagging, you're reinforcing the opposite message: that your gag reflex just saved your life. Again. Do that eight times in a row and you've trained your body to be more reactive, not less.
- Consistency matters more than intensity.
2. Address Underlying Anxiety
The gag reflex has a psychological component. If you're anxious about gagging, you're more likely to gag — which makes you more anxious. It's a feedback loop.
This is especially relevant for dental anxiety or anxiety around oral sex.
What helps:
- Deep breathing before and during. Slow, controlled breaths through your nose activate your parasympathetic nervous system and reduce the fight-or-flight response.
- Progressive muscle relaxation. Consciously relax your jaw, tongue, and throat before the triggering situation.
- Cognitive reframing. Remind yourself that the gag reflex is protective, not dangerous — and that you're in control of the situation.
If your anxiety is severe (especially around dental work), consider talking to a professional. Dental phobia is real and treatable. You can also ask your dentist if they carry any products to help with gag reflex — some dental offices stock specialized salt and citric acid formulas designed specifically for this purpose.
In-the-Moment Techniques
These won't permanently change your reflex, but they can help you get through a specific situation.
3. Breathe Through Your Nose
When your mouth is occupied (toothbrush, dental instruments, oral sex), your breathing naturally shifts to your mouth. This can trigger a mild panic response that makes gagging more likely.
Consciously breathing through your nose keeps your airway calmer and gives your brain one less thing to worry about.
This is simple, free, and works for most people. Try it first.
4. Humming
Humming engages your soft palate and vocal cords in a way that can interrupt the gag reflex. It's hard to gag and hum at the same time.
Obviously, this isn't practical for every situation — but for dental work or brushing your teeth, it's an easy technique to try.
5. Salt and Citric Acid (Lemon Juice)
There's evidence that salt on the tongue can temporarily reduce gag reflex sensitivity. The addition of citric acid (like lemon juice) appears to enhance this effect.
The mechanism isn't fully understood, but it likely involves stimulating specific taste receptors that modulate the reflex pathway — essentially giving your nervous system a different signal to process.
How to try it: Place a small amount of salt on the tip of your tongue, or try a mixture of salt and lemon juice, about 30-60 seconds before the triggering activity.
This is the science behind the product we make at oom labs — a food-based powder that uses salt and citric acid to block the gag reflex without numbing. We'll talk more about product options below.
Products That Block the Gag Reflex
If training and techniques aren't enough — or you need a solution right now — there are products designed to help.
6a. Numbing Sprays and Lozenges
These are the most common option. They typically contain benzocaine or lidocaine, which are topical anesthetics that temporarily numb your throat.
Pros:
- Fast-acting (usually within a minute or two)
- Widely available (pharmacies, Amazon, adult stores)
Cons:
- Short duration — most wear off in 2-10 minutes based on real-world use
- They numb everything, including your partner during oral sex
- Artificial taste (often described as "medicinal" or "like cough syrup")
- Some contain artificial colors and ingredients
Numbing sprays work, but the trade-offs are significant — especially for oral sex, where transferring numbness to your partner defeats much of the purpose.
6b. Salt and Food-Acid Based Products
A newer approach uses salt, citric acid, and other food-based ingredients to block the gag reflex through a different mechanism. Instead of numbing your throat, these products work on the reflex pathway itself.
Pros:
- Longer duration (up to 45 minutes in some cases)
- No numbing — you keep full sensation, and so does your partner
- More natural ingredients
- No "medicinal" taste
Cons:
- Newer to market, so less widely known
- Fewer options available
This is the approach we took with oom labs' Instant Gag Blocker. It's not a numbing spray — it's a food-based powder that dissolves on your tongue and blocks the reflex for up to 45 minutes.
What Doesn't Work
A few things to skip:
Alcohol. A drink or two might loosen you up, but alcohol dehydrates your mouth, impairs coordination, and doesn't actually address the reflex. It's not a solution.
"Just relax" without actual techniques. Helpful if you know how to relax. Useless if you don't.
One-time tricks without follow-through. A single technique might help once, but if you have a genuinely sensitive reflex, you'll need a more comprehensive approach.
Matching the Method to Your Situation
Different situations call for different approaches:
Dental visits: Desensitization training (start weeks before), breathing techniques during the appointment, and possibly a numbing spray or salt-citric acid product for invasive procedures. Ask your dentist what they recommend.
Swallowing pills: Try the "lean-forward" method (tilt your chin toward your chest as you swallow), use a pill-swallowing gel, or practice with small candies to build confidence.
Oral sex: Combination approach — breathing, relaxation, and a gag-blocking product if needed. Desensitization training can also help long-term.
Brushing your teeth: Use a smaller toothbrush head, adjust your brushing angle to avoid trigger zones, and work on desensitization over time.
Key Takeaways
- You can't eliminate your gag reflex, but you can reduce its sensitivity or block it temporarily
- Desensitization training is the most effective long-term method — it takes weeks, but it works
- Breathing through your nose and humming can help in the moment
- Salt and citric acid (like lemon juice) can temporarily reduce the reflex — this is the science behind oom labs' product
- Numbing sprays work but have trade-offs: short duration, numb everything, transfer to partners
- Salt and food-acid based products offer longer duration without numbing
- Match your method to your situation — dental, pills, oral sex, and brushing each have different optimal approaches
About oom labs
We're a Denver-based intimate wellness lab on a mission to bring more fun, more connection, and better intimate health to millions.
What Now?
Reach out if you have any questions or want more info on this topic or on the stuff we make. Otherwise, best of luck in your search and have fun!
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you have persistent issues with gagging that affect your daily life, eating, or breathing, consult a healthcare provider.