Itchy Gums
January 24, 2006 11:40 AM   Subscribe

Why do my gums itch?

I floss every night before I go to bed using my "Reach Power Flosser", and then brush my teeth for up to two minutes using a Colgate toothbrush and Crest Liquid Gel cinnamon toothpaste. I brush every morning when I get up as well.

However, the past two weeks, my gums have been itching horribly - to the point where I just want to scratch the base of the front of my teeth with the fingernail of my index finger.

What's going on? Am I flossing/brushing too hard? I have had a bit of a cold, and am wondering if the itching is related to that.

How do I get it to stop? It's driving me mad!
posted by burhan to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)
 
Google "Oral Allergy Syndrome" or OAS. Not sure, but it sounds like a good place to start...
posted by penchant at 11:45 AM on January 24, 2006


(I'd say the cinnamon toothpaste is the culprit)
posted by penchant at 11:48 AM on January 24, 2006


Go see your dentist. take notes on when this happens. if it's happening all the time, note (write down) when it gets worse and when it's better. Take notes of what you've eaten at these times.

Have you changed toothpaste recently? Have you ever noticed any itching of your gums before? If so, what preceded that?

Not a dentist here, but again, go see one.
posted by bilabial at 1:03 PM on January 24, 2006


My gums always itch when I have a cold. I don't know why, but wanted to let you know you're not the only one...
posted by widdershins at 1:27 PM on January 24, 2006 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I briefly used some kind of Colgate whitening toothpaste (for 3 days), but switched back to the cinnamon one. I've used the cinnamon one for years without problem.

I was thinking it might be from a cold/flu, or perhaps I flossed incorrectly (though I doubt it).
posted by burhan at 2:09 PM on January 24, 2006


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