Totally agree about stress being a sneaky culprit. I used to have the same issue—my gums would bleed even though I was flossing regularly and eating pretty well. My dentist kept telling me my technique was fine, but nothing seemed to help much. Then I realized it always got worse during stressful periods (like tax season, haha).
Anyway, one thing that surprisingly helped me was switching from regular floss to those little interdental brushes. At first, I thought they were just gimmicky, but honestly, they're way easier to use and gentler on my gums. Plus, I actually started flossing more consistently because it wasn't such a hassle anymore. After a couple weeks, the bleeding stopped completely.
Also, I second the saltwater rinse suggestion—it really does soothe things temporarily. But yeah, if you're already doing everything right diet-wise and flossing regularly, maybe try changing up your flossing tool or even the time of day you floss. Sounds silly, but flossing before bed instead of in the morning made a noticeable difference for me.
Gums can be weirdly sensitive to small changes... who knew? Hang in there, you'll figure it out eventually.
