My gums aren't healing

I had my second round of dental work on Thursday. She looked at the right side of my mouth which she worked on last time, and she got really worried. Apparently it hasn't healed up much at all. After a few weeks, she had expected it to be almost all healed, but it isn't. She had to do some extra work on that side on Thursday, which she shouldn't have had to do.

There were three teeth on the right side that had started hurting again, and I had her look at them and see why there'd be pain coming from them. She said that their gums had receded so much that the teeth's roots were partially exposed, so every time there was a slight temperature change in my mouth, they'd probably hurt. She recommended that I start brushing with Sensodyne, which I'm really not happy about. I have always used a gel-type toothpaste because I don't like normal toothpaste, but I could not find a Sensodyne gel. I really can't stand the pasty-type consistency. Plus, I don't like the taste of mint, so I'm really picky about which dental products that I can stand. I have used a specific type of gel for years because the mint flavor is very subtle, but now I have to switch brands and types. I will do it because I have to, but I'm not happy about it.

She also gave me a bottle of prescription mouthwash to use until it runs out to promote healing. It is horrible tasting. I'm not sure what's worse... using it or gargling with salt water (I hate the taste of salt). I'm supposed to gargle salt water for a few days after each of the procedures.

She didn't seem to have as much trouble doing the left side on Thursday as she did on the right side a few weeks ago. I don't think the left side was as bad. She got me more numb than last time, or maybe it was just the 4 pills of Tylenol that I took before I went that made me feel less pain. It still hurt like hell when she was doing the stuff really deep in the gums. She only gagged me with the rinsing liquid twice this time instead of about 10 times like the first time.

I have to go back in about 6 weeks so she can see how I've healed up to that point. If I'm not more healed by then, she said we'd have to decide what to do from this point. She didn't really explain what we'd have to do if I wasn't healed. I'm praying that I heal right.