What Causes Bleeding Gums?
There are a number of reasons why your gums are bleeding, but you can narrow down the causes based on your answers to a few questions. First, while it is obvious in some cases, have you injured your mouth recently? You know when you have bumped your mouth on something, but maybe you hurt it while you were sleeping or you didn’t realize that your last meal had some sharp-edged foods. Next, are you pregnant or is it possible that you are pregnant? The changes in hormones and the major changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy can cause the gum tissue to be more sensitive and more likely to bleed from normal day to day actions. Finally, when was your last dental appointment for a professional exam and cleaning? The most common reason for people to have bleeding gums is gum disease in either an earlier stage like gingivitis or a more advanced stage like periodontitis.
The name gingivitis means inflammation of the gums, so early-stage gum disease is chronic inflammation of the gums. When plaque settles along the gumline and is not removed by brushing and flossing, it can harden into tartar and cause the gums to be irritated. The gums will start to separate from the teeth and allow for more bacteria to grow and develop below the gumline. Brushing with a soft bristled toothbrush and using proper techniques will remove plaque and debris from teeth. Flossing removes any remaining debris from the sides of teeth where the brush can’t properly reach. Following flossing with an oral rinse can wash all the loosen debris out of your mouth. These three steps followed twice a day can help prevent gum disease and even prevent it from getting worse. If you are not consistent with these daily, then you may need to rely on twice yearly dental appointments for cleaning and removal of the inflammation causing calculus on your teeth. The dentist will be able to stop gum disease, eradicate it, or reverse it, depending on how for your gum disease has progressed.
Once gingivitis has progressed to periodontitis, the dentist will need to use more invasive and aggressive treatments at address your gum disease. Without treatment, you can risk gum recession, tooth loss and even bone loss. In this case, your bleeding gums are just a small problem compared to the others you will need to deal with. If your gums are bleeding, swollen, and you have noticed that your teeth have become loose, its time to call the dentist for an appointment.
Certain medical conditions can cause your gums to bleed. Cancers of the blood like leukemia can lead to bleeding gums. Clotting disorders can cause your gums to bleed more easily. Some people do not make enough clotting cells, platelets, and require medications and behavior changes to help prevent serious bleeding.
You may be deficient in certain vitamins like C and K which can cause your gums to bleed. Adding foods rich in vitamin c like strawberries and tomatoes can help your gums from bleeding. Foods rich in vitamin K like soybeans and swiss chard can help your blood clot better. Vitamin supplements may be an option to improve your overall health and prevent your gums from bleeding.