While brushing or smiling in the mirror, if you have seen your gums red with teeth bleeding, don’t just brush it off! They are a warning sign of gingivitis, periodontitis, bacterial build-up, or low Vitamin C or K levels.
Poor gum health will lead to periodontal issues. Timely treatment is the most effective cure for these issues. Our qualified team at Dr Bobby’s Orthodontics & Dental Speciality Care provides Expert Periodontic Therapy that can fix gum issues effectively.
To know the causes, treatments, and prevention, keep scrolling.
What Are Bleeding Gums?
Sometimes, due to poor oral health, your gums become inflamed or irritated. These can cause your gums to bleed during brushing or flossing. The signs are obvious: redness, swelling, tenderness, and occasional bad breath.
This can occur in three circumstances: brushing, flossing and spontaneous instances. Unnecessary pressure and irregular flossing are one of the major causes of bleeding gums.
Bleeding is categorised into two types: minor and major. Minor bleeding may occur when you start flossing after a long break. A major bleeding is frequent, heavy, or spontaneous bleeding, bad breath, and loose teeth.
Common Causes of Bleeding Gums
Poor Oral Hygiene
Irregular brushing creates plaque build-up. The bacteria in the plaque irritate and create inflammation, leading to bleeding gums.
Periodontitis (Advanced Gum Disease)
Gingivitis, left untreated, turns into periodontitis as the infection goes deep into the tissues. The inflammation’s after effects are gum recession, bone loss, and frequent bleeding.
Brushing or Flossing Too Hard
If you think applying extra pressure or using a hard-bristle brush will give your teeth the best level of cleanliness, you’re wrong. This wrong move will damage the gum tissues. It will cause your gums to bleed when brushing. Swinging between inconsistent flossing and daily flossing will lead to bleeding, but it will reduce when you give consistent care.
Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamins C and K are important for many reasons. Vitamin C supports collagen production, helps in wound healing, and prevents gum disease. Vitamin K supports blood clotting, tissue healing, and resilience.
Lack of Vitamin C weakens gum tissue and slows down healing, making teeth bleeding easier. Lack of Vitamin K disrupts the blood clotting, making it sensitive to a minor irritation.
Hormonal Changes
Fluctuating immune responses increase blood flow, making the gums sensitive to inflammation and bleeding. Hormonal change can also increase the gums’ reaction to plaque, which can lead to temporary bleeding.
Medications
Taking certain medications can be the cause of bleeding gums. They include:
- Anticoagulants & Antiplatelets – Warfarin and Aspirin
- Calcium Channel Blockers – Nifedipine and Norvasc
- Immunosuppressants – Cyclosporine, Tacrolimus, and Sirolimus
These medicines can increase bleeding or cause gingival overgrowth. Some medicines limit the saliva flow, which can cause build-up and irritation.
Medical Conditions
Lifestyle conditions like diabetes can weaken the gums and increase the risk of infection. Any chance of a blood-clotting disorder can make the gum sensitive to mild irritation that can cause bleeding. Immune-related disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and type 1 diabetes can worsen resistance to fighting oral bacteria and gum inflammation.
Tobacco and Alcohol Use
Lifestyle habits like smoking and drinking might look relaxing and part of luxury. But they can massively damage your gums. Smoking delays the healing and increases the risk of infection. Consistent or overintake of alcohol can make your mouth dry and increase plaque buildup, leading to bleeding gums.
How to Treat Bleeding Gums
Improve Oral Hygiene Practices
A change in the existing incorrect oral practices is the most effective solution. Gentle circular brushing with a soft-bristle brush, daily flossing, and using a dentist-recommended antibacterial mouthwash can reduce plaque buildup, gum inflammation, and gum bleeding.
Professional Dental Cleaning
If the plaque has hardened into tartar, regular brushing cannot remove it. Only a professional dentist can remove it. The treatment is deep cleaning, which reduces gum inflammation, improves healing, and prevents the spread of gum disease.
Scaling and Root Planning
This is the next step after the deep-cleaning process. The tartar is removed from below the gumline. Next, the root surfaces are smoothed for the gums to reattach and to reduce bacterial accumulation.
Treating Underlying Health Conditions
Lifestyle health issues like diabetes and vitamin deficiencies, remaining untreated, can cause gum inflammation and bleeding. High diabetes affects the gums’ healing process. Proper blood sugar levels help the gums heal. Vitamin deficiencies cause gum bleeding; supplements prescribed by the doctors will help increase gum health.
Adjusting Medications
The medicines mentioned above, like blood thinners, may help you with certain ailments, but might damage the gums. When you consult a dentist, they will adjust the dosages or prescribe safer alternatives.
Lifestyle Modifications
Quitting toxic habits and bringing healthy changes are effective solutions. Quitting smoking will strengthen your gum tissues, quicken healing, and reduce the risk of bleeding. Stopping drinking will reduce the dryness in the mouth and the gum bleeding.
A healthy diet gives healthy gums. Including vitamins and fibre in your diet strengthens immunity and supports healthy gum tissue.
How to Prevent Bleeding Gums
Maintain Consistent Oral Hygiene
Consistent brushing and flossing are promising solutions. Brushing twice daily in gentle circles with a soft-bristle toothbrush will prevent plaque buildup. Floss daily to clean the food remnants where the brushes can’t reach.
Regular Dental Check-ups
Six months is the ideal check-up time. These visits are done to detect early gum issues and for professional cleaning. Only professional cleaning can remove tartar, which can prevent gum irritation and bleeding.
Balanced Diet for Gum Health
Including citrus and leafy green items in your diet means making your diet Vitamin C and K-rich. Some sugary snacks and acidic foods increase plaque buildup and gum irritation. Try your best to avoid them.
Stress Management
High stress can affect your immune system. It can weaken your immune system, increasing the risk of infections. Avoid them with techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or short breaks.
Avoid Tobacco Products
Tobacco products can irritate gum tissues and make them more prone to gum disease. Quitting them will improve the gum healing, reduce bleeding, and improve overall hygiene.
If you have mild pain, inflammation, swelling, or bleeding in your gums and your home remedies haven’t worked, it is time to visit a dentist.
Plaque build-up, chronic bad breath, infections, and decay are signs of progressing periodontitis that can only be treated by expert dentists.
We, Dr Bobby’s Orthodontics & Dental Speciality Care, offer the best solutions for all kinds of bleeding gums issues. Do not hesitate, visit us at Kadavanthra, or call us at +91 8078961573 for an appointment. Fix your gums at the earliest for a healthy and perfect smile.