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[Closed] Sensitive Gums Driving Me Nuts—Saltwater Rinse or OTC Gel?

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Posts: 28
(@tylerkayaker)
Eminent Member
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Totally agree about ditching whitening toothpaste—made a huge difference for me too. Another tip: floss gently (I know, easier said than done...). Aggressive flossing was secretly wrecking my gums. Gentle does it, folks.

Posts: 21
(@scott_blizzard)
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"Aggressive flossing was secretly wrecking my gums. Gentle does it, folks."

Glad someone else mentioned this—I learned the hard way too. Thought I was doing everything right, flossing daily and all that, but turns out being overly thorough can backfire. My dentist pointed out I was basically sawing at my gums...ouch. Switching to a softer touch made a noticeable difference within weeks. Also, saltwater rinses helped calm things down when they were really irritated. OTC gels never did much for me personally, but everyone's mileage varies. Hang in there, it gets better once you find what works for you.

Posts: 27
(@vr_dennis)
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I feel your pain, been there myself and honestly, saltwater rinses saved me. OTC gels were meh—they numbed things for like 10 mins and then it was back to square one. Here's what worked for me step-by-step (brace yourself, my dentist probably rolls her eyes every time I start listing this out):

First, ditch the aggressive flossing—sounds obvious but old habits die hard. I swapped to those gentle glide floss picks so I couldn't accidentally saw at my gums again. Next, warm saltwater rinses twice a day (morning and night) for about 30 seconds each time. Nothing fancy: just warm water and a pinch of salt from the kitchen. It calms irritation fast.

Also, if your gums are super angry, switch to a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush lightly in small circles instead of scrubbing like you're trying to remove graffiti. Trust me on this one...my gums thanked me.

Give it a couple weeks of consistency and you'll see improvement. Hang in there, sensitive gums are literally the worst.

danielrobinson480
Posts: 17
(@danielrobinson480)
Active Member
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Saltwater rinses are definitely underrated. I tried the gels too, and yeah, they were basically a temporary bandaid—felt good for a sec, then back to misery. One thing I'd add though: mouthwash with alcohol made my gums angrier, so switching to an alcohol-free rinse helped a ton. Also, weirdly enough, drinking more water throughout the day seemed to ease things up...maybe hydration helps gums too? Anyway, hang in there—gum sensitivity is no joke.

margaretmiller837
Posts: 15
(@margaretmiller837)
Active Member
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Have you tried switching toothpaste too? My daughter had super sensitive gums, and once we swapped to a milder, SLS-free toothpaste, things calmed down noticeably. Might be worth checking out if gels aren't cutting it...

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