Guide · October 10, 2026
My gums hurt
“My gums hurt” and “why do my gums hurt” are broad searches. Brushing too hard is not the same as food stuck between two teeth, and a denture sore spot is not a braces problem. The table maps each one to a product already on the shelf. Our pick is that card. It is not a test result. Shopping help, not medical advice.
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| Problem | What helps | Our pick |
|---|---|---|
| Brushing too hard | A soft adult brush, or a sonic brush whose card says it has a pressure sensor. This shelf has no adult brush titled extra soft. | Colgate Extra Clean soft, 6 pack, and Philips Sonicare 4100 (Tideglide) |
| Bleeding or plaque | A toothpaste the box labels for gums, a cordless water flosser, and waxed floss. | Parodontax clean mint, Waterpik Cordless Pulse 3100, Reach mint waxed floss |
| New flossing soreness | Waxed floss that the card says slides, or soft picks. | Oral-B Glide waxed floss, and soft picks |
| Food stuck between teeth | Interdental brushes, starting with a size that enters without bending the wire, or picks. | Six-size interdental brush set, and GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens Tight |
| Denture sore spots | Clean the denture. See the dentist who made it for an adjustment. Adhesive does not resize a sore spot. | GUM denture brush, and Efferdent cleanser tablets |
| Sensitive teeth or gums | A fluoride toothpaste titled for sensitive teeth. | Sensodyne Repair and Protect (Repair Gum Paste) |
| Kids’ sore gums | An extra-soft kids brush. The card does not print an age. | Oral-B Kids extra-soft, 3 pack |
| Braces | Wax, a V-trim brush, threaders, and the braces guide. | My gums hurt with braces |
Braces
If the gums hurt because of braces, use My gums hurt with braces. That guide maps a poking wire, plaque around brackets, floss under the wire, a tender day after an adjustment, and mouth sores.
Brushing too hard
Berth Soft Brush is Colgate Extra Clean adult toothbrushes, soft, a 6-pack. The listing says soft. It does not say extra soft. Tideglide Sonic Brush is the catalog card for a Philips Sonicare 4100. The card says the handle has a pressure sensor. This shelf does not have an adult brush titled extra soft.
Berth Soft Brush
Colgate Extra Clean adult toothbrushes, soft, value 6 pack.
Check price on Amazon Colgate Extra Clean Adult Toothbrushes, Soft, Value 6 Pack. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Colgate Extra Clean Adult Toothbrushes, Soft, Value 6 Pack. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Tideglide Sonic Brush
A quiet sonic handle with a pressure sensor and about two weeks of charge.
Check price on Amazon Philips Sonicare 4100 sonic toothbrush. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Philips Sonicare 4100 sonic toothbrush. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Bleeding or plaque
Gumline Mint Paste is Parodontax clean mint, 3.4 oz. The box calls it a daily fluoride anticavity and antigingivitis toothpaste and says it helps prevent bleeding gums. That sentence is the box. Pulse Tide Flosser is the Waterpik Cordless Pulse 3100. Kelpcurrent Waxed Floss is Reach mint waxed floss on the HSA shelf. A place on that shelf is not a coverage promise.
Gumline Mint Paste
A 3.4 oz fluoride toothpaste labeled for gums and cavities.
Check price on Amazon Parodontax toothpaste for bleeding gums, clean mint, 3.4 oz. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Parodontax toothpaste for bleeding gums, clean mint, 3.4 oz. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Pulse Tide Flosser
A white rechargeable cordless water flosser with two tips.
Check price on Amazon Waterpik Cordless Pulse 3100 portable water flosser, white. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Waterpik Cordless Pulse 3100 portable water flosser, white. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Kelpcurrent Waxed Floss
Three 55-yard dispensers of mint waxed floss.
Check price on Amazon Reach waxed dental floss, mint, 55 yd, pack of 3. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Reach waxed dental floss, mint, 55 yd, pack of 3. Tag dentalsurf-20.
New flossing soreness
Shoreline Mint Floss is Oral-B Glide waxed floss. The card says it slides and then grips. Gumline Soft Picks are 60 soft picks in a tin. The card says they are not a replacement when the contacts are tight enough to need floss. Slide the thread. Stop if one spot turns sharp.
Shoreline Mint Floss
Waxed, shred-resistant floss with a light mint finish. 50 meters.
Check price on Amazon Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Cool Mint floss, 40 m, pack of 6. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Cool Mint floss, 40 m, pack of 6. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Gumline Soft Picks
Sixty soft picks for tight contacts, in a pocket tin.
Check price on Amazon GUM Soft-Picks Original, 100 count. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: GUM Soft-Picks Original, 100 count. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Food stuck between teeth
Interdental Brush Set is six labeled sizes. Start with the smallest size that meets resistance without bending the wire. Tamarack Between is GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens Tight, 10 count, sold as a 4-pack. Do not force a wide brush into a tight contact.
Interdental Brush Set
Six labeled sizes of soft interdental brushes in a snap case.
Check price on Amazon TePe interdental brush mixed pack. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: TePe interdental brush mixed pack. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Tamarack Between
GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens Tight Interdental Brushes, 10 Count (4 Pack)
Check price on Amazon GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens Tight Interdental Brushes, 10 Count (4 Pack). Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens Tight Interdental Brushes, 10 Count (4 Pack). Tag dentalsurf-20.
Denture sore spots
A sore spot on the gum under a denture is a fit problem. See the dentist who made the denture for an adjustment. Magnolia Denture is a GUM denture brush, dual-headed, 2 pack, for cleaning the denture. Clearcurrent Retainer Tabs are Efferdent cleanser tablets, a soak, not adhesive. Adhesive cream is a different card. It does not resize a sore spot.
Magnolia Denture
GUM Denture Brush, Dual-Headed, Hard Bristle Toothbrush, 2 Pack
Check price on Amazon GUM Denture Brush, Dual-Headed, Hard Bristle Toothbrush, 2 Pack. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: GUM Denture Brush, Dual-Headed, Hard Bristle Toothbrush, 2 Pack. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Clearcurrent Retainer Tabs
One hundred twenty-six mint tablets for retainers, aligners, guards, and dentures.
Check price on Amazon Efferdent Minty Fresh and Clean tablets, 126 count. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Efferdent Minty Fresh and Clean tablets, 126 count. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Sensitive teeth or gums
Repair Gum Paste is Sensodyne Repair and Protect for sensitive teeth, 3.4 oz, with fluoride. It is toothpaste. It is not a treatment for swelling, pus, or a loose tooth.
Repair Gum Paste
Sensodyne Repair and Protect toothpaste for sensitive teeth, 3.4 oz, with fluoride.
Check price on Amazon Sensodyne Repair and Protect Whitening Toothpaste, Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth and Cavity Prevention, 3.4 oz. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Sensodyne Repair and Protect Whitening Toothpaste, Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth and Cavity Prevention, 3.4 oz. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Kids’ sore gums
Jetty Kids Brush is a 3-pack of Oral-B Kids extra-soft toothbrushes. The listing says extra soft and made for smaller mouths. The card does not print an age. It is not the braces brush.
Jetty Kids Brush
Three extra-soft Oral-B kids toothbrushes.
Check price on Amazon Oral-B Kids extra soft toothbrush, 3 pack. Check price on Amazon. Tag dentalsurf-20.Dental Surf Affiliate Store: Oral-B Kids extra soft toothbrush, 3 pack. Tag dentalsurf-20.
Questions people ask before they buy
Why do my gums hurt?
Brushing hard, plaque, a new flossing routine, food stuck between teeth, a denture that rubs, and braces are different problems. The table matches each one to a card. This page does not diagnose.
When should I see a dentist for sore gums?
See a dentist for gum bleeding lasting more than 1–2 weeks, swelling, pus, loose teeth, fever, or severe pain. Get urgent care for facial swelling or trouble swallowing or breathing.
Is sensitive toothpaste a gum treatment?
Repair Gum Paste is Sensodyne Repair and Protect, titled for sensitive teeth, with fluoride. It is toothpaste. It is not a treatment for an infection.
Browse the store
- Start here: sensitive teeth
Two fluoride pastes and a gel.
- My gums hurt with braces
Wax, a V-trim brush, threaders, and the braces kit.
- Start here: kids
Three soft kids brushes.
- Toothpaste shelf
Sensitive pastes and the gum paste.
Symptom finder · Replacement reminders · Toothpaste label decoder
Our pick
Repair Gum Paste
Sensodyne Repair and Protect toothpaste for sensitive teeth, 3.4 oz, with fluoride.
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- Shopping help, not medical advice