Headache

Very sorry for your discomfort! Be sure to take your retainer to your dentist, either at your next appointment or now, and let him or her know about your gagging. Often, retainers can be modified by trimming a little off the posterior near the throat muscles without losing any of the good qualities or effectiveness. Good luck!

Ask your doctor about botox injections. I get them for my migraines but they also inject into my jaw because I also clench my teeth throughout the day. Even if you only receive injections for the clenched jaw - it will help you out a lot. Good luck from one chronic migraine sufferer to another!

I'd suggest getting a POC appliance for your clenching - it's thicker and flexible (I work in 3mm as standard). Ask for it to be made just to the sixes and it shouldn't set off your gag reflex at all. But if you do get one made, and it still does, we can trim it further, or make sure it only covers the tops of your teeth or anything you need really. If you then wanted to try a thinner one, though, it would need to be made from scratch.

Source: I'm a bored dental technician on furlough, typing from the toilet.

TMI

Try reconditioning your gag relfex by progressively brushing further back when you brush your tongue.
Worked for me.

I used to have the same problem. There are physiotherapists specialized in jaw problems and they can correct the problem long-term with exercises and massages (generally you have to see them about once a month until the problem is solved). It's a lot healthier and more long-term than injections and just learning a few ways to relax the muscles in my face during the first consultation already helped me keeping quite a few headaches at bay.

I DO THIS TOO!! I don’t even really I’m clenching my jaw anymore I do it so often and I have chronic migraines

let's work on the stress and anxiety first, the more we can get to deal with that, the less you'll have to worry about these issues. God bless

Try tile spacers! It sounds odd, but they’re little rubber/plastic plus sign things that my dad used to chew on. I doubt it’s good for your teeth, but it’s probably better than clenching them.