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Do your gums bleed easily? Bleeding gums are caused due to something simple, like using the incorrect technique while you brush or floss. Or it could be a symptom of a health condition you need to check out.
Human beings can deal with mild bleeding gums at home in most cases. Gum bleeding may be treated and prevented with good oral hygiene1.
Gum bleeding is common and may not be very severe in some cases. After brushing or flossing, an individual may experience bleeding gums due to irritation to the sensitive gums. The common reason gums bleed is plaque or tartar buildup. These substances permit bacteria to develop alongside the gum line. Practicing good oral hygiene can save you from sensitivity and bleeding.
1. Gum Bleeding
Bleeding gums cause inflamed gums or irritated pink tissue across the mouth that bleeds easily. If your gums bleed even while brushing or flossing, you may ignore it, wondering if it is normal; however, bleeding gums can occasionally indicate an underlying problem. Occasional bleeding from the gums may be due to brushing your teeth too hard or wearing dentures that do not fit well.
Frequent bleeding from the gums also can display different severe conditions, including:
- Periodontal disease or Periodontitis (a complicated form of gum disease)
- Leukemia (blood cancer)
- Vitamin deficiency
- Lack of clotting cells (platelets)
2. Bleeding Gums Causes
2.1. Gingivitis
Bleeding gums cause gingivitis or inflammation of your gums. It is a common and moderate sort of gum disorder, thanks to plaque buildup at your gum line.
If you have gingivitis disease, your gums will be irritated, have redness, and be swollen. They’ll additionally bleed when you brush your teeth.
You can obviate this hassle by taking correct care of your teeth. Regularly brush your teeth twice each day, floss day by day, rinse daily with an associate bactericide gargle, and see your dentist regularly.
2.2. Periodontitis
Periodontal disease2 (periodontitis) will arise once gingivitis can become advanced. The periodontic ailment is an infection of the gums, jawbone, and substantiating tissues that connect your teeth and gums. Periodontal gum disease will cause tooth loss or fallout eventually.
2.3. Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin C and vitamin K deficiencies can also cause gums to bleed. Ask your medical doctor to check your vitamin C and K levels once you have hurt gums that aren’t caused by improper attention. Also, follow a diet with every nutrient to ensure you’re obtaining the vitamins you wish to remain healthy.
2.4. Health Conditions
Gum bleeding is more common in affected people with specific health problems, including liver disease, blood clotting disorders, anemia, leukemia, and temporal arteritis3.
2.5. Blood-Thinning Medications
Blood-thinning medicines lessen blood’s ability to clot, bringing about less complicated bleeding. This may be a concern for dental procedures that cause bleeding.
Thus, you have to constantly inform your dentist if you take blood-thinning medicines at every dental visit.
2.6. Pregnancy Gingivitis
About half of the pregnant women experience swollen, red, tender gums that bleed throughout brushing or flossing.
This occurs because hormonal changes in the course of pregnancy alter the body’s reaction to bacteria that cause gum ailment.
Take care of your gums and teeth during pregnancy by practicing proper oral health hygiene by brushing your teeth two times a day with fluoridated toothpaste and flossing daily.
2.7. Leukemia
Bleeding gums may be a signal of leukemia4, a kind of cancer. Your blood platelets assist your body in stopping bleeding. If you have leukemia, your platelet count is low. That makes it more challenging to prevent bleeding in distinctive parts of your body, which include your gums.
2.8. Scurvy
It’s rare; however, an intense shortage of vitamin C in your body can result in scurvy, an ailment associated with poor nutrition. It could make you weak, cause anemia, and result in bleeding under your skin.
Bleeding gums cause typical symptoms of scurvy5.
2.9. Wearing Dentures That Fit Incorrectly
Bleeding gums cause sores and scratches on your gums if you don’t correctly wear dentures. People who do not take out their dentures at night can be particularly liable to bleeding gums.
In addition, if you put on dentures, it is specifically essential to brush your teeth and clean your dentures properly to prevent plaque buildup and gum inflammation.
3. Treatment of Gum Bleeding
3.1. Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Bleeding gums 6cause a signal of poor dental hygiene. Gums emerge as inflamed and bleed while there’s a plaque buildup along the gum line. Plaque may be a sticky film containing bacteria covering your teeth and gums. And in case you don’t brush or floss enough, the bacteria can spread and cause tooth decay or gum ailment.
To enhance oral hygiene, brush your teeth at least two times every day and floss once daily. Good oral hygiene is mainly essential for pregnant women. Hormone fluctuations throughout pregnancy can also cause gum ailment and bleeding gums.
3.2. Using the Proper Toothbrush
If someone has sensitive gums, they could choose a toothbrush labeled as softer or more sensitive. Firm or medium toothbrushes are too hard on the gums. People use a toothbrush with soft bristles for two minutes twice a day. Both manual and electric toothbrushes are equally effective when used properly.
Replace toothbrushes after every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles appear frayed.
3.3. Stop Smoking
In addition to heightening the danger of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke, smoking is related to gum disease. Smoking is the leading cause of excessive gum disease. It can decrease your body’s immune system, making it more challenging for your body to combat plaque bacteria. This can lead to gum disease.
Quitting smoking can assist your gums in healing and stopping bleeding. Talk to your dentist about different methods that will help you quit smoking.
3.4. Reduce Stress Level
Emotional stress has a terrible effect on the immune system. This may also result in the weakening of the body’s defenses to the factor in which it can’t combat gum infection. However, more research is needed to determine the amount of stress that can cause the onset of this disease.
It’s believed that emotional stress can also cause a few humans to forget about their oral health, contributing to the accumulation of plaque.
3.5. Rinse Your Mouth with Saltwater
Because bacteria and inflammation in the mouth cause gum disease, often rinsing your mouth with a mixture of warm salt water might also lessen bacteria and prevent gum bleeding.
Add 1/2 of a teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water and rinse your mouth for some seconds, 3 to 4 instances a day. If bleeding gums is caused by an injury or trauma, rinsing with a saltwater mixture additionally maintains your mouth clean and eliminates bacteria that would cause wound infection.
4. When to See a Dentist?
An individual should check with their dentist if they observe changes in their gums, teeth, or mouth. Pain, redness, or bleeding of the gums should not occur each day. If the trouble arises regularly or does not leave with good oral hygiene, a dentist can check for early-stage gum ailment and other issues.
See a healthcare expert for symptoms of infection, which include fever or swelling. Vitamin deficiencies consisting of vitamin C or K, pregnancy, and certain medical conditions can also contribute to bleeding gums. People must see their medical doctor or dentist if the bleeding does not stop after seeking to home treatment.
Regular dental visits can stop minor, early-stage bleeding gums from becoming more serious. Untreated gum disease can ultimately result in infection and tooth loss.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
5.1. Which deficiency causes bleeding gums?
Low Vitamin C is one of the reasons for bleeding gums.
5.2. Are bleeding gums serious?
5.3. What is the natural remedy for bleeding gums?
There are remedies and treatments like salt water rinse, a good brushing, stopping smoking, and others.
5.4. What fruit is best for teeth?
Apples, berries and citrus fruit like orange helps in cleaning the teeth and increasing salivation.
Read more from us here.
Proofread by:
Dr. Foram Bhuta
Dentist (B.D.S)
- Carra, Maria Clotilde, et al. “Promoting behavioural changes to improve oral hygiene in patients with periodontal diseases: A systematic review.” Journal of clinical periodontology 47 (2020): 72-89. ↩︎
- Curtis, Mike A., Patricia I. Diaz, and Thomas E. Van Dyke. “The role of the microbiota in periodontal disease.” Periodontology 2000 83.1 (2020): 14-25. ↩︎
- Mackie, Sarah L., et al. “British Society for Rheumatology guideline on diagnosis and treatment of giant cell arteritis.” Rheumatology 59.3 (2020): e1-e23. ↩︎
- Pelcovits, Ari, and Rabin Niroula. “Acute myeloid leukemia: a review.” Rhode Island medical journal 103.3 (2020): 38-40. ↩︎
- Trapani, Sandra, et al. “A narrative review on pediatric scurvy: the last twenty years.” Nutrients 14.3 (2022): 684. ↩︎
- Abe, Masanobu, et al. “Close associations of gum bleeding with systemic diseases in late adolescence.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17.12 (2020): 4290. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
Authors
Very informative and easy to understand. Being a Periodontist, i can definitely say that you have described all the things in a very point way. One should definitely read your post and follow what is recommended.
I have bleeding gums, I used to think it’s because I brush my teeth to hard, but turns out that’s not the case. If somebody have this problem they should really bring it to their dentist’s attention, it might not be anything serious like this article said, but it doesn’t hurt to be sure.
Excellent insights into the causes of bleeding gums. The emphasis on effective treatments is what makes this article stand out.This article not only highlights the problem but also provides practical solutions. It’s a must-read for anyone dealing with bleeding gums.”
I randomly came across this article as I was searching through some bleeding gums remedies, bleeding gums are really scary and for this I was really worried, I will definitely add the vitamins u mentioned in my diet.