Interesting about the toothpaste thing—I always assumed "sensitive" meant gentler, but maybe not. I've been using baking soda toothpaste lately because it's cheaper and supposed to be natural, but now I'm wondering if that's too abrasive too. Has anyone else noticed baking soda toothpastes causing gum irritation? Might have to rethink my budget-friendly choice...
"I've been using baking soda toothpaste lately because it's cheaper and supposed to be natural, but now I'm wondering if that's too abrasive too."
I tried baking soda toothpaste once because my orthodontist recommended something gentle after getting braces tightened. Honestly, it felt gritty and made my gums feel kinda raw after a few days. Maybe it's just me being overly cautious (I tend to worry about everything dental-related), but I switched back to a gel-based sensitive toothpaste and things calmed down pretty quickly. Natural doesn't always mean gentler, unfortunately...
I get what you're saying about baking soda toothpaste feeling gritty—it's definitely not for everyone. Weirdly enough, though, I've had the opposite experience. My gums used to be super sensitive and inflamed, especially after flossing or eating crunchy stuff. Regular toothpastes—even the sensitive ones—sometimes made things worse for me, maybe because of certain ingredients or flavors.
When I switched to baking soda toothpaste, it actually calmed things down quite a bit. Yeah, the texture took some getting used to (felt like brushing with sand at first, lol), but after a week or two my gums felt noticeably healthier and less irritated. Maybe it's just a personal chemistry thing? Or possibly depends on how hard you're brushing—I had to consciously ease up on pressure because baking soda is naturally abrasive.
Anyway, if baking soda isn't working out, you might wanna try something like aloe-based toothpaste. My sister swears by it for her sensitive gums, and it's pretty gentle without that gritty feeling. Just throwing another option out there in case you're still looking around...
Interesting perspective, but baking soda toothpaste actually made my gums worse. I think the abrasiveness was just too much for me, even when brushing gently. Aloe-based toothpaste sounds intriguing, but honestly, I've had better luck with plain old saltwater rinses—cheap and effective. Might not be fancy, but it calms irritation pretty quickly without any weird textures or aftertastes...
Saltwater rinses are honestly underrated—I used them a lot during my braces journey, especially after adjustments when everything felt irritated. Aloe toothpaste sounds cool, but I haven't tried it yet. Baking soda was a definite no-go for me too, way too harsh. Have you ever experimented with softer toothbrush bristles or even silicone brushes? Found switching to a super soft brush made a huge difference in gum sensitivity for me...might be worth a shot if you haven't already.
