"brushing gently at a 45-degree angle toward the gums rather than scrubbing horizontally makes a big difference."
Totally agree with this. When I first got braces, my gums were super sensitive and saltwater rinses felt harsh no matter how careful I was with the mix. Switching to an alcohol-free rinse (CloSYS was great for me too) plus adjusting my brushing technique made a noticeable difference. Took a few days to get used to the new method, but it really helped calm things down. Hang in there—it does get better.
I've been having similar issues lately, and honestly, the saltwater rinse just made things worse for me. Felt like it irritated my gums even more, no matter how mild I tried to make it. I switched to an OTC gel (Orajel, I think?) and started brushing way softer—like barely touching my gums at first because I was paranoid about making things worse. Took a while, but eventually things calmed down. Still cautious though... every now and then I get flare-ups if I'm not careful. Might give CloSYS a try since it seems gentler than what I've used before. Glad to hear others have had luck with it.
Orajel helped me too, but I found it wore off pretty quick. CloSYS sounds interesting—haven't tried that yet. Have you noticed if certain foods trigger your flare-ups more often? Sugar or acidic stuff maybe...?
"Have you noticed if certain foods trigger your flare-ups more often? Sugar or acidic stuff maybe...?"
Yeah, sugary stuff's the worst for me—especially candy or soda. Weirdly enough though, spicy food doesn't bother mine at all. Anyone else find that spicy foods are surprisingly okay...?
Sugar's definitely a biggie for me too, especially soda—I swear my gums instantly regret it. Spicy food though...it depends. Mild spice, like buffalo wings or salsa, actually seems fine. But anything super hot (looking at you, ghost peppers) can irritate mine a bit. You're pretty lucky if you can handle spicy stuff without issues. Maybe it's something about sugar specifically that causes inflammation? Either way, glad you've figured out at least one trigger!
