Sensitivity to toothpaste?

[Firefly1987]

Anyone had this? My gums sting/tingle like crazy but it comes and goes and I still can't figure out what the problem is. At first I thought stress/hormones but then I started suspecting my toothpaste (Sensodyne gentle whitening) although it doesn't happen until a while after I brush. I switched back to Colgate which helped a bit but I just used some orajel tonight for a small area that was hurting and within 20 mins my whole mouth was tingling/hurting again. The only ingredient I can see in both is sodium saccharin and I think that's in all toothpastes, including Colgate. So I'm stumped. Has anyone else ever had a reaction to toothpaste or orajel?

You could try Kingfisher with fluoride, as there is an ingredient in most toothpastes that give the “fresh tingle” but some people are sensitive to it.

Can't see it listed. Here's the full ingredients list of the Sensodyne gentle whitening version I was using-

Aqua, Hydrated Silica, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Pentasodium Triphosphate, Potassium Nitrate, PEG-6, Alumina, Aroma, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Fluoride. Contains: Sodium Fluoride 0.315% w/w (1450 ppm Fluoride).

Not sure what of those ingredients would be irritating to my gums/mouth.

No, that one lists sodium fluoride, instead, so stannous fluoride can't be your issue.

98% of mouthwashes are classed as cosmetic because there is no clinical evidence they work. You should save your money and don’t use mouthwash at all. Certainly not within two hours of using toothpaste as it interacts with toothpaste and also washes all the good fluoride away.

Things in toothpaste that can cause sensitivity other than SLS , thymol and cinnamon

propylene glycol

• Spearmint
• Peppermint
• Menthol
• Carvone.
• Cinnamal – flavouring derived from cinnamon
• Anethole – flavouring derived from star anise, fennel and anise
• Propolis – antiseptic
• Hexylresorcinol – plaque control
• Azulene – anti-inflammatory
• Dipentene – solvent used in cleaning products
• Cocamidopropyl betaine – surfactant
• Parabens – preservative

cocamidopropyl and mint flavourings are present in your toothpaste so could be those

I know Listerine is not recommended-shocking really as it's usually the first thing you think of re mouthwash. I'll lay off it for sure from now on, also used to use it straight after brushing-oops!

I had to stop using sensodyne toothpaste as it was triggering nerve pain in my teeth, which I have suffered with for years. Strangely Oral B Gum calm causes me no problems.

@SinisterBumFacedCat would you mind describing the nerve pain? I feel like this could be similar. It's a tingly prickly stinging sensation but I've never had nerve pain to know what that feels like. It's in my gums rather than teeth though so might be different to what you had?

It’s different for different people (know because I did a pain management course years ago specifically for teeth). Mine is usually triggered by a hard bite down on food, or a bad acne spot, starts as a dull ache in the deep on the jawline then turns into pain on the gum and around the teeth, it feels almost like if you bite into a peppercorns and were to rub the broken peppercorns onto your gum line, but then the pain just continues for hours, or days or weeks etc. Traditional painkillers like paracetamol are useless (even heavy stuff) but there are other medicines that work (amitriptylin/gabapentine).

Biomin F toothpaste is very good for sensitive teeth. This toothpaste rescued me when I was having a massive flare up, dentist recommended it because it was originally a whitening product but anecdotally people noticed it worked well for sensitive teeth.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BioMin-Toothpaste-Strengthen-Sensitive-Fluoride/dp/B0D9BHGPYM/ref=asc_df_B0D9BHGPYM?mcid=ce68e0e69fd23f0188f65c1020a8e3bd&hvocijid=10431291452709290101-B0D9BHGPYM-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10431291452709290101&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9222618&hvtargid=pla-2281435179098&psc=1&gad_source=1

My daughter is allergic to SLS in toothpaste. It makes her lips peel horribly. She now has SLS free toothpaste and the issue has completely resolved.