Bleeding Gums

Why Can Gums Bleed?

There are various reasons why gums can begin to bleed, including:

• Vitamin deficiencies.
• Medical issues like diabetes, blood clotting disorders, and leukemia.
• Hormonal changes during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

Brushing your teeth too hard or using a hard-bristle toothbrush can damage your gums. In this case, treatment is easy: we can discuss using a softer-bristled toothbrush and show you how to clean your teeth without damaging your gums.

However, bleeding gums are often caused by gum disease.

How Can Gum Disease Cause Bleeding Gums?

Gum disease is a bacterial infection that can be caused by poor oral care. The reason for twice-daily brushing and flossing every day is to remove plaque buildup.

Dental plaque continually forms on your tooth surfaces. It is a sticky biofilm containing bacteria that produce toxins. Toxins inflame and infect your gums, leading to the development of gum disease.

One of the earliest signs of gum disease is bleeding gums.

If you fail to clean your teeth regularly, plaque hardens into tartar or calculus in a couple of days. Calculus is a crusty substance that tends to build up around the gum margin and can only be removed professionally during your regular dental cleanings.

Calculus buildup makes it easier for plaque to stick to teeth, and these substances will continue to produce toxins, further infecting your gums and gradually spreading to the bone around your teeth.

Without treatment, tooth loss is a real possibility, and advanced gum disease can negatively impact overall health.

Signs You Need to See a Dentist for Bleeding Gums Treatment

If you notice blood on your toothbrush, in the bathroom sink, or that your gums have begun bleeding at other times, please schedule a dental exam with us at Dental Pearl.

Other signs to look out for include:

• Swollen gums.
• Discolored gums that look red or purple.
• An unpleasant taste.
• Bad breath.
• Gum recession, so your teeth may begin to look longer.
• Changes to your bite.
• Loose teeth.

Diagnosing Why Your Gums Bleed

The diagnosis process is quick and gentle. Our dentist will examine your gums and may use a small probe, called a periodontal probe, to measure signs of gum recession.

As gums recede, they start to separate from your teeth, creating gaps called periodontal pockets. The depth of these pockets is measured with a periodontal probe and helps indicate whether you have gum disease and, if so, the degree of inflammation and infection.

The deeper the periodontal pockets, the greater the infection and inflammation in your gums.

In addition to probing your gums, we will likely take digital X-rays. These show how far the infection has progressed, and if it has begun to affect the bone around your teeth.

Bleeding Gums Treatments

After examining your gums, we can provide you with a custom treatment plan. This will outline how to treat bleeding gums, the time required for your treatment, and pricing.

Possible treatments can include the following.

Professional Dental Cleaning

If you only have minimal signs of infection in your gums, we may recommend a professional dental cleaning with our hygienist. This will remove all plaque and tartar buildup, enabling your gums to fight the infection more easily.

Oral Hygiene Improvements

You will likely need to improve your oral care routine, and we can help. Our friendly hygienist can discuss better brushing and flossing techniques and provide customized advice on which tools to use.

Working with you, we can ensure you have a great oral care routine that is easy to use at home.

Deep Dental Cleaning

If you have signs of gum recession, we may recommend a deep dental cleaning, also called scaling and root planing. This is similar to a hygiene appointment, but it cleans exposed tooth roots thoroughly, helping to eliminate the infection and allowing your gums to fit more snugly around your teeth.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics can help fight more severe infections. Sometimes we may place antibiotics topically into the periodontal pockets after a deep dental cleaning. Alternatively, we can prescribe antibiotics to be taken orally.

Advanced Periodontal Care

If you have severe periodontal disease, you may need more advanced treatments that a periodontist can provide. These may combine nonsurgical treatments, such as those listed above, with periodontal surgery. Your treatment will be designed to help control this condition and to stabilize teeth loosened by gum disease.

Caring for Bleeding Gums at Home

After receiving professional dental care for your bleeding gums, it’s essential to follow up your treatment with a good oral hygiene routine at home. We can ensure you have all the information you need to care for your gums properly, but below are some simple tips to help you stop gum bleeding.

• Brush twice a day, preferably with good-quality fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss every day. It doesn’t matter whether you floss before or after brushing, or in the morning or at night; it’s more important to find a routine that fits your lifestyle.
• Consider using a fluoride mouthwash or an antimicrobial mouthwash.
• Use a soft-bristle toothbrush and don’t press too hard. If you have an electric toothbrush, it will likely alert you when you use too much pressure.
• If you smoke, consider quitting, as smoking increases your chances of gum disease considerably.

Don’t forget to schedule regular dental exams and hygiene appointments, as this is the easiest and most effective way to help prevent gum disease and to detect any early signs quickly.