Brief Answer:
Desensitization has to be done

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone very carefully through your query. Incidentally in case of children with tics hyperactive gag reflex can frequently be present. This complicates the problem and makes feeding (or making him swallow pills) hard. Hyperactive gag reflex is the body's response to the stimulation of soft palate or posterior pharynx. It is however possible to get rid his hyperactive gag reflex through desensitization, which means training your soft palate to receive objects without gagging.

Desensitization can be done by doing the following steps while brushing. This can get rid of the gag reflex as soon as possible.
* He needs to find out where the gag reflex starts. He has to use the toothbrush to brush his tongue starting from the farthest tip of the tongue, then work his way in deeper.
* Once he begins to gag, he has to try to brush that area for about 10 seconds even while he is gagging. This process is quite unpleasant, but training ownself not to gag naturally involves some gagging. He should stop brushing when he feels like he can not continue any longer. This training cannot be done in a day.
* He needs to repeat the process over the next few days, concentrating on the exact same spot. He will notice that he gags less each time you repeat it. He needs to stay on the same spot until you can handle most of the gagging or gagging completely stops. That part of your mouth would become desensitized.
* Thereafter he can reach deeper into his mouth using the toothbrush. He can try brushing half an inch behind the desensitized spot and keep moving further back until he has reached the farthest area that the brush can reach.
* The whole desensitization process should take about a month to complete.

Feel free to write back.

Regards

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