What are the Bleeding Gums Causes and its Treatment?

A reddish tinge on your toothbrush while brushing could mean that you have bleeding gums. It is a fairly common occurrence, but must not be taken for granted. Most people experience this at least once in their lifetime. If the bleeding repeats often, then it could be a sign of a potential dental problem.

Most often, bleeding gums during brushing are a sign of dental problems, deficiency, or systemic disease. Healthy gums do not bleed easily and therefore Bleeding gums need immediate attention, medical evaluation, and proper treatment. Regular Dental Checkups Are An Important Part Of Maintaining Your Healthy Smile!

If you are wondering which disease leads to bleeding gums, it could range from gingivitis to a major systemic disorder.

Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye:

1. What are Bleeding Gums?
2. Causes of Bleeding Gums
3. Which vitamin deficiency causes Bleeding gums?
4. Treatment For Bleeding Gums

Take Away

1. What are Bleeding Gums?

When you see blood in the sink after brushing, flossing or cleaning, then you may have bleeding gums. It is usually a symptom and indicates that there is something going on with your dental health, and needs to be examined.

By themselves, bleeding gums while brushing are not a cause for much alarm. But, to stop them from progressing to seriously concerned problems and to determine the underlying cause of the bleeding, it is best to consult your dentist who will make an assessment and pinpoint why your gums are bleeding.

Bleeding gums for no reason is not often the scenario with dental health. It is a symptom that points towards an impending undiagnosed condition.

2. Causes of bleeding gums

Some of the common causes of bleeding gums include:

Poor dental hygiene :- 

• This is one of the most common bleeding gums causes
• The mouth has a lot of bacteria 
• When this bacteria comes in contact with the saliva, it forms a gluey substance called the plaque
• The plaque has a tendency to build up between teeth and contribute to problems such as bleeding gums
• The plaque can be removed by proper brushing and flossing. 
• Due to poor oral hygiene, the plaque buildup continues
• After a certain period, plaque progresses to tartar which becomes difficult to remove with regular brushing.
• Tartar buildup can be removed only by a dentist

Wrong brushing technique:-

• Sometimes, we tend to brush too hard to get the teeth clean
• But, vigorous brushing can cause damage to the gums 
• Gums are a very sensitive portion and brushing hard irritates them and then they start to bleed. 
• Always, make sure that you use the right toothbrush
• A softer or medium toothbrush may be a better choice
• Instead of brushing abrasively, gentle circular movements help to clean the area better
• Keep in mind that when you brush, it must be more like a gentle massage rather than forceful pressure being applied to the gums

Improper flossing method:

• Flossing is an effective procedure that helps to get out the debris in between the teeth
• But using the wrong technique can cause more harm than good and turn out to be one of the bleeding gums causes
• Improper flossing can cause minor cuts in the gums
• There is also a chance of gum recession causing more damage.

Gingivitis

• When there is an excessive plaque build up due to improper diet or ineffective brushing, the gums get inflamed, causing gingivitis
• If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis , which is a severe form of infected gums 
• Causes of Bleeding gums may also lead to other health problems.
• Periodontitis can be damaging and progress to tooth loss along with other systemic complications.
• Through proper brushing and flossing, gingivitis can be taken care of, thus preserving your dental integrity.

Medications

• Certain medications may also cause bleeding in some people
• People who take blood thinning medications are at a higher risk of having bleeding gums.
• Pain medications such as ibuprofen may increase the chances of gum bleeding
• If you are taking any of such medications, it is very important to consult your dentist and get the right recommendation for an oral routine.
• Following the dentist recommended routine will help to establish healthy gums even with these medications.

Pregnancy

• Hormonal changes during pregnancy are one of the common bleeding gums causes
• Pregnancy can cause the gums to be more sensitive than usual, and predispose them to bleeding than under normal conditions.
• If you are pregnant and are experiencing bleeding of the gums, it is essential that you consult your dentist and work out a routine that suits your personal health and dental needs.

Diet

• Diet plays a very important role and may contribute to the causes of bleeding gums
• A diet rich in sugar and carbohydrates causes plaque buildup to occur 
• Also, certain ingredients that are contained in processed foods promote gum bleeding 
• You must make it a point to strike a healthy balance and include plenty of fruits and vegetables that help to prevent this condition

Stress

• Stress is an important factor that can influence the working of your immune system. 
• If you have been living under constant stress or anxiety, then the body’s capacity to fend off disease-causing bacteria decreases, causing them to build up as plaque.
• Also, stress can cause disintegration of the oral soft tissues risking them to bleed.
• Management of stress is an important part of preventing gum bleeding

Ill fitting dentures

• If you have been having dentures, they may not be fitting well and may cause bleeding
• The dentures may be in contact with the sensitive area of the gums, and cause irritation
• When the irritation persists, at some point, the gums get inflamed and start to bleed

Apart from these causes , there are certain factors that predispose you to gum bleeding:

• Smoking- Smoking renders your gums to be more sensitive and multiplies your chances of gum bleeding
• Diabetes - Being diabetic exposes your gums to more chances of bleeding and the progression to periodontal infection is much faster in people with diabetes
• Tobacco - Chewing tobacco is a habit that multiplies your chances of having bleeding gums

3. Which vitamin deficiency causes bleeding gums?

• Vitamin C deficiency can cause bleeding of the gums
• The deficiency of Vitamin C causes scurvy. One of the important symptoms of scurvy is bleeding gums
• The deficiency of Vitamin K also increases the probability of having bleeding gums
• Other systemic conditions including blood disorders and clotting disorders heighten your inclination to gum bleeding.
• Sometimes when you feel like you are experiencing bleeding gums for no reason, deficiencies may be the cause.

4. Treatment For bleeding gums

It is vital to see your dentist and get yourself checked to see what could be causing bleeding gums. You must see your dentist when:

1. You have more than a few episodes of bleeding gums during brushing over a few weeks
2. If you are aware of any conditions that you may have such as diabetes, bleeding disorders etc
3. Bleeding gums and bad breath can go hand in hand. So if you have bad breath, visit your dentist to get treated
4. you have tried to wait and treat it at home, but it keeps coming back. 

After a thorough dental examination, your dentist will:

1. Recommend the right oral routine based on your health condition
2. Prescribe antibiotics if there is an infection
3. Advise the right mouthwash to be used
4. Guide you towards a good diet for oral health
5. Plaque removal and prevention of tartar buildup may be required
6. You may need to take vitamin supplements to prevent deficiency

Take Away

At Tooth town,the best dental clinic in Delhi, we uphold that a dental visit need not be a painful or unpleasant experience. Our experts come with many years of experience in the field and cater to a wide range of patients. Schedule an appointment with us and experience the best in dental care.