Have hot breath, bad taste in mouth, bad breath and sore gums for past months. I brush often (usually more than twice a day) but rarely use mouthwash & absolutely never floss. What can be causing this discomfort?

Floss, interdental brushes, mouth wash for gum disease like Corsodyl, don't forget to brush your tongue.

Don't compare symptoms with strangers on the internet.  Just wait for your appt. And see what's wrong with you.  However, I'm not sure why you never floss?  It makes sense that you'll have problems since you're not cleaning between your teeth or stimulating your gums.  Of course they're going to be unhealthy.  My dental hygienist has a sign in her office.  "You don't have to floss your teeth .. Only the ones you want to keep!"

Far too hard to say .. Symptoms like that could be caused from a number of things ranging from gum disease to stomach problems...or even a combination of things. Might be a good idea to talk to your doctor or even have a checkup with your dentist to know for sure and how to treat it.

You should floss as well as brushing. Just brushing your teeth doesn't always help, you need to do both.

Dear Johnny Bravo,

What I will suggest for you can end up a lot of work...because sx like yours can be associated with a slight acidic condition throughout your whole body, a pH imbalance.

So along with treating the immediate dental situation, you might want to consult a naturopath or other alternative practitioner for some recommendations on nutrition...although some people just do the research themselves for a more alkaline-forming diet. (Coffee being highly acid-forming, for example.)

* * *

As your body pH comes back into balance sore gums heal up, your digestion improves and that helps bad breath, etc.