Been dealing with some annoying gum sensitivity lately, nothing major but enough to bug me when I'm eating or brushing. My mom swears by warm saltwater rinses, says it's natural and cheap. But my friend keeps telling me to just grab an over-the-counter numbing gel from the pharmacy and call it a day. I'm kinda torn... saltwater seems gentler, but does it really work as well? Curious what you guys prefer and why.
"saltwater seems gentler, but does it really work as well?"
I've been there with the sensitive gums, especially after getting my braces adjusted. Saltwater rinses were always my go-to because they're simple and gentle. Honestly, they did help reduce inflammation and discomfort without making my mouth feel all numb and weird. The gels are fine for quick relief, but I personally didn't love the numb sensation when trying to eat or drink afterward. Plus, saltwater is cheap and always on hand, so that's a bonus.
Have you noticed if certain foods or drinks make your gum sensitivity worse? For me, anything acidic or super cold was a no-go for a while...
Saltwater rinses have been pretty helpful for me too, especially when my gums were super irritated after dental work. I was skeptical at first because it seemed almost too simple to actually do anything, but surprisingly it did calm things down quite a bit. The gels worked faster, sure, but I totally get what you mean about the numbness—it made drinking water feel like the weirdest experience ever, lol.
One thing I noticed though is that saltwater doesn't always cut it if the sensitivity is really intense. Sometimes I'd have to use the gel just to get through meals comfortably. And yeah, acidic foods were definitely a trigger for me too—orange juice was basically off-limits for a while. Weirdly enough, hot drinks like tea didn't bother me as much as cold stuff did...go figure.
Anyway, hang in there—it does get better eventually.
Same here, saltwater rinses helped my kid a lot after braces adjustments. But yeah, when the sensitivity got really bad, we had to switch to gels temporarily—especially before meals. One thing that worked for us was using room-temp water instead of cold; it seemed less irritating. And you're right about acidic stuff...even ketchup was a no-go for a while. Thankfully, it does ease up over time. Hang in there!
Good point about the room-temp water—noticed that too with my daughter. She had similar gum sensitivity issues when she first got braces. Saltwater rinses were helpful at first, but honestly, they seemed more preventive than anything else. Once the gums were already irritated and sore, we had better luck with OTC gels. The gels numbed things enough for her to eat comfortably, especially before meals or brushing. But I agree, acidic foods made everything worse...even mild salsa was off-limits for a bit. Eventually, we found alternating between saltwater rinses during the day and gel at night worked best. It wasn't perfect, but it kept things manageable until her gums adjusted.
