Chamomile was soothing for me too at first, but I noticed after a while it made my mouth feel oddly itchy. Switched to rinsing with diluted salt water instead... old-school, sure, but sometimes simpler really is better.
"old-school, sure, but sometimes simpler really is better."
Totally get what you mean about chamomile... I've heard from others that some herbal rinses can cause mild reactions, especially if you're sensitive. Salt water rinses might seem basic, but honestly, they're underrated. My grandma swore by salt water and had healthier gums than most people half her age, haha. Have you noticed any improvement since switching? Sometimes the simplest solutions are the ones we overlook because they seem too easy or obvious. Glad you found something that's working for you—gum issues can be so frustrating and stubborn to deal with. Good call on listening to your body's signals!
"Salt water rinses might seem basic, but honestly, they're underrated."
Totally agree with this. My son had ongoing gum irritation after braces, and we tried a bunch of fancy mouthwashes that just made things worse. Switched to plain salt water rinses twice a day, and within a week his gums calmed right down. Sometimes the simplest remedies really do work best—wish we'd tried it sooner instead of wasting money on all those products.
Salt water rinses are legit lifesavers. My daughter had a mouth sore from biting her cheek (don't ask, kid eats like a baby shark...), and we tried gels, creams, you name it. Nothing worked. Finally remembered the salt water trick my mom always swore by, and boom—two days later she was eating normally again. Wish I'd skipped the fancy stuff altogether.
"Sometimes the simplest remedies really do work best"
Yep, learned that the hard way.
Salt water rinses are definitely handy, but I'd be cautious about dismissing gels and creams completely. I've found that for certain persistent gum irritations or sores, specialized gels with antiseptic properties can be more effective, especially if there's risk of infection. Salt water is great for mild cases, but sometimes you need something a bit stronger to really tackle the issue. Just my two cents from personal experience... everyone's mileage varies, I suppose.