I tried baking soda rinses with my daughter when she had some gum irritation, and honestly, it didn't go over well. She hated the taste and complained it was "gross and salty." We switched to mild saltwater rinses instead, and that went much smoother. I'd say baking soda is effective but probably better suited for adults or older kids who can handle the taste... younger ones might put up a fight.
Yeah, baking soda rinses can be pretty harsh taste-wise, especially for kids. Saltwater rinses are usually milder and still effective because they gently reduce inflammation and bacteria without irritating sensitive tissues. Another thing that's worked well for some of my younger patients is cooled chamomile tea rinses—it's soothing, tastes better, and has natural anti-inflammatory properties. Might be worth a shot if saltwater ever gets boring or if irritation flares up again.
"Another thing that's worked well for some of my younger patients is cooled chamomile tea rinses—it's soothing, tastes better, and has natural anti-inflammatory properties."
Chamomile tea rinse, huh? Sounds fancy...but cheap enough to try. Does it matter if it's the bagged stuff or loose leaf? Asking for my wallet. 😂
Chamomile tea rinse is actually a pretty solid suggestion. I've recommended it to friends dealing with gum inflammation before, and they've had good results too. Doesn't need to be fancy or expensive, though—your wallet can relax. 😅
"Does it matter if it's the bagged stuff or loose leaf?"
Honestly, either one works just fine, so go with whatever fits your budget or convenience. The bagged stuff from the grocery store is usually perfectly fine and super easy to use. Just steep a bag or two in hot water for about 5–7 minutes, remove the bags, and then let it cool down to room temp (or pop it in the fridge if you're impatient). Loose leaf can sometimes be fresher and might give you a slightly stronger brew, but it's not necessary for this purpose.
One quick tip from experience: make sure the tea is completely cooled before you rinse—warm tea might feel nice initially, but cooler tea actually helps more with inflammation and swelling. Just swish gently around your mouth for about 30 seconds to a minute, spit it out, and repeat a couple times a day. It's gentle enough that you can use it regularly without worry.
Also, heads up if you have allergies to ragweed or similar plants—chamomile can sometimes trigger reactions in people sensitive to those. If that's not an issue for you, you're probably good to go.
I've had folks say this method helped them through some rough gum flare-ups when nothing else seemed to soothe things. It's not a miracle cure or anything, but definitely worth trying since it's cheap, easy, and natural. Good luck!
Chamomile rinse sounds interesting, hadn't thought of that one before. My kid had some gum irritation a while back, and our dentist suggested diluted saltwater rinses. Seemed to help quite a bit, but chamomile sounds gentler and probably tastes better too, haha. Wonder if alternating between the two would be beneficial or overkill...? Curious if anyone's tried combining methods like that.
