Robbie,

I am the dental hygienist in the group. If you gums are sore, it is possible that your homecare is not up to par. Did the hyienist that you saw show you how to use your tooth brush to massage your gums, without toothpaste? That is called dry brushing and it is very effective for treating gingivitis. Have you tried any of the electric toothbrushes, like a Sonicare? If positioned on your gums properly, they treat gingivitis very well too. If your gums look nice and pink, flat against teeth with the stippled appearance of an orange peel, then your gingivitis is cured. If your gums are red, still puffy and bleed AT ALL when you brush or floss (and I know you floss every day), then you still have gingivitis and that is probably why your gums still hurt.

You need to spend at least 5 minutes a day on your teeth and gums to keep them healthy. Put the time in everyday, even if your gums hurt at first, and within two weeks, everything should be healed and you should be having no discomfort. To keep it from hurting again, you have to keep up with the routine.

Good luck, Barb

PS My oral cancer hurt. Please tell your dentist.