5 Ways to Address Bleeding Gums

If plaque and tartar reside on your teeth, it has the potential to cause gum disease, or periodontal disease. The result of this disease could be the potential loss of teeth. One of the main symptoms that gum disease may cause is your gums to bleed. However, while oftentimes bleeding gums do mean gum disease, that’s not always the case. If your gums are bleeding, here are some possible explanations and ways that you can tell what is causing your gums to bleed.

Improve Your Oral Hygiene Habits

The biggest cause of bleeding gums is plaque building up on the gum line. If this plaque continues to exist on the gum line without being removed, it will harden and become tartar. Over time, this tartar can cause your gums to bleed and can continue to worsen as you advance through the stages of gum disease. If this is the case, the best way to better the situation is by improving your oral hygiene habits. Regardless of whether your gums bleed or not, you should brush and floss twice a day. But this is even more important if your gums do bleed as it could signal damage to your oral health. If flossing is not a regular habit, doing so has been known to sometimes stop the bleeding. It’s also important to make regular visits to the dentist to ensure the health of your mouth.

Keep Your Tools Up to Date

If you are practicing good oral hygiene care by brushing and flossing twice a day, and you are making your regularly scheduled visits to the dentist, it may be the tools you are using for practicing your oral hygiene care. It may seem like using firmer bristles on your toothbrush would be more beneficial because it would clean your teeth better. However, soft bristled toothbrushes, which are recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA), are much better to go with as they clean the teeth better and don’t cause the irritation. Another reason your gums may be bleeding is that you are flossing too hard. Try not pressing the floss onto your gums so hard and see if the bleeding subsides.

Healthier Diet

One of the aspects that might cause your gums to bleed could be your diet. Sugar makes it easier for plaque to form on the teeth so foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates will increase your risk of tooth and gum problems. If this is the cause of your bleeding gums, creating a diet that is much lower in sugar and is higher in the necessary nutrients that come from vegetables is the way to go. That does not mean that you have to completely cut out sweets, but cut down on the consistency in which you consume them. Additionally, brushing after you consume sugary snacks will help as the sugar will not sit on the teeth as long.

Medication

In some cases, it may be medicine that is the cause of bleeding gums. Some over-the-counter pain relievers will thin the blood which will increase bleeding in parts of the body, including the gums. If it is prescription medication that is causing the problem, speak with your doctor. The right choice of action may be to either prescribe a different dosage or to prescribe a different medication all together. If you are concerned about bleeding gums or other side effects of medication, you should consult your doctor.

Seek Treatment

If you have attempted all of these fixes and your gums continue to bleed, the right course of action may be to seek treatment. Bleeding gums are a common symptom of periodontal disease and the earlier treatment begins to stop the effects of the disease, the better off you will be. Vero Implants and Periodontics offers various treatment options to ensure that you get the right treatment. They also offer multiple sedation options to ensure ultimate comfort during any procedures.

If you find yourself with bleeding gums, no matter how much, it is not a situation to ignore. While it could be a simple solution with no damage caused, it could also be a symptom of periodontal disease. If this is the case, seek treatment at Vero Implants and Periodontics.