How to Get My Gums to Stop Bleeding
Before you make an emergency appointment with the dentist because your gums are bleeding, here are ten ways to try to address it at home. By trying these options, you can help narrow down the reason your gums are bleeding.
- Stop Smoking - You already know that smoking can cause lung cancer and heart disease, but smoking is linked to gum disease. The nicotine can decrease the effectiveness of your immune system and can cause inflammation in all the tissues in your mouth. By quitting smoking, you are giving your mouth a chance to heal and be free from gum disease.
- Reduce Your Stress - Having too much stress in your life can affect your weight, your ability to sleep, and even your immune system efficiency. If you take the time to try to manage or reduce your day to day stress, then you are going to give yourself a chance to healthier in multiple ways. Your body will have a better chance at fighting the bacteria in your mouth and stopping gum disease.
- Increase Your Vitamin C - Some people experience gum bleeding as a result of a vitamin c deficiency. Not only does vitamin C help your immune system fight off disease but it helps decrease inflammation in your tissues. You can try to eat more carrots or sweet potatoes or even take a supplement.
- Drink Green Tea - Just like vitamin C, green tea has a powerful antioxidant called catechin. These antioxidants help your immune system work better, decrease inflammation, and prevent infections. Drinking three to four cups of green tea a day can help you experience the benefits of catechin.
- Eat Fewer Carbohydrates - By decreasing the number of carbs you eat, you are decreasing the food the bacteria in your mouth needs to grow. The sugars in your foods can help bacteria causing plaque lead to gum disease. Without a food source, those bacteria won’t last long!
- Increase Your Vitamin K - If your body is deficient in vitamin K, then your blood may not be able to clot as well. You can improve your vitamin K levels by increasing the amount of leafy greens you eat, like kale and spinach. Or you can try taking a supplement.
- Rinse with Salt Water - Using warm salt water after brushing and flossing has been shown to help decrease inflammation in gums and remove any remaining bacteria. Dentists recommend using warm salt water rinses when you are trying to prevent an infection if you have injured your mouth.
- Rinse with Hydrogen Peroxide - Hydrogen peroxide is already a common tool in many homes’ first aid kits as a disinfectant, but it is an effective tool for your daily oral hygiene. Using hydrogen peroxide as an oral rinse can kill bacteria, stop gum bleeding, reducing gum inflammation, and remove plaque. An added bonus is whiter teeth too!
- Establish Good Oral Hygiene Habits - When there is plaque and tartar along the gumline that has not been removed by brushing and flossing, your gums can bleed. Take the time to brush and floss twice a day with a soft bristled toothbrush. An appointment every six months with the dentist can address any problem areas that are not cleaned well enough with your at home routine.
- Use a Cold Compress - In the case of an accident or injury, a cold compress on your mouth can help reduce swelling and decrease bleeding.