A mouth gag is a type of medical equipment used to open the mouth widely or to prevent the person wearing the gags from talking. The gags as different designs and are usually made up of stainless steel or rubber balls. Mouth gags are used in oral surgery to open the patient mouth widely during any dental procedures. A mouth gag may also be used in adult erotic play.
Types of gag
- Whitehead gag
- Jennings gag
How does a mouth gag work?
A mouth gag helps the patient to open his or her mouth if he or she has been sedated for a particular period of time during painful dental work or oral surgery. It can also assist the patient that is having difficulties in opening his or her mouth due to severe dental. When the mouth gag is placed in the mouth it separates the two teeth and allows the dentist or oral surgeon to work inside.
Dental mouth gags are made up of a fine and smooth stainless steel that can be easily sterilized and cleaned after used. They usually consist of a thick metal wire shaped into a rough oval, which is placed inside the mouth. Some other types of gags look like a pair of pliers, which can be locked in an open position to hold the mouth open on one side.
Surgical mouth gag
A surgical mouth gag is used to hold the mouth of a patient mouth open while they are sedated and unconscious. Some surgical gags come with a built-in steel tongue depressed to keep a patient's tongue in place. This allows the surgeon to have access to the patient's throat. Surgical mouth gags are used on adenoids, tonsils and other surgeries requiring access to the troat during procedures.
Erotic mouth gags
Mouth gags used in erotic play have a different purpose than those used in dentistry or oral surgery. Instead of holding the mouth open, they are used to prevent the wearer from talking very well. Though they seldom are made well enough to keep someone from making noise, they can provide a powerful visual in games of power exchange.
Erotic gags are made of a soft substance that can be bitten into without harming the person wearing it. To this end, they often take the form of a soft rubber ball. The ball is held in the mouth by a strap that passes around the head. In some designs, the ball can be taken off the strap for easy sterilization.
These gags can also take the form of simple strips of tape or cloth that go over the mouth or between the teeth. To further block the mouth a piece of cloth could be stuffed inside the mouth before placing the gag over the wearer. Usually, tongue movements can defeat this kind of simple gag, which can push the fabric out of the way.
Isreal olabanji a dental assistant and public health professionals and has years of experience in assisting the dentist with all sorts of dental issues.
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