I feel your pain—my daughter went through the same thing when she first got braces. Saltwater rinses helped a bit, but honestly, what made the biggest difference for her was switching toothpaste. We tried one of those sensitive teeth formulas (the pinkish one, can't remember the brand right now...) and within a week she was complaining way less. Might be worth a shot if gels aren't cutting it. Hang in there, it'll ease up soon enough.
That's interesting about the toothpaste switch—I hadn't considered that angle yet. Saltwater rinses help me temporarily, but the relief doesn't last very long. I've been using OTC gels too, and to be honest, they feel a bit like a band-aid solution. My orthodontist mentioned something similar about sensitive toothpastes, but I was skeptical they'd make a noticeable difference. Now hearing your experience, maybe it's worth giving them a serious try.
Out of curiosity, did your daughter also experience increased sensitivity when eating cold foods? For me, that's been the most frustrating part—ice cream is practically off-limits now. I'm wondering if the toothpaste helped with temperature sensitivity specifically or just general gum soreness. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience; it's reassuring to hear it eases up eventually.
"ice cream is practically off-limits now."
Ugh, I totally feel you on the ice cream thing... For me, sensitive toothpaste did help a bit with cold foods, but honestly, it took a couple weeks before I noticed any real difference. Hang in there—it does get better eventually.
Sensitive toothpaste helped me too, but honestly, switching to a softer toothbrush made a bigger difference for me. Weirdly enough, I also noticed certain flavors of ice cream triggered sensitivity more than others—like chocolate was fine, but strawberry was a no-go. Anyone else notice certain flavors or foods being worse than others? Curious if there's something specific in them that sets it off...
"Weirdly enough, I also noticed certain flavors of ice cream triggered sensitivity more than others—like chocolate was fine, but strawberry was a no-go."
Funny you mention that, because I've had something similar happen. For me, citrusy stuff like lemon sorbet or orange sherbet is the absolute worst. I did some digging and apparently acidic foods can really ramp up sensitivity issues. Strawberry ice cream might have more acidity than chocolate, especially if it's made with real fruit. I've started rinsing with saltwater after eating acidic foods, and honestly, it's been a cheap lifesaver so far...
