If you’ve been noticing your gums bleeding, there are many potential causes. It can be hard to narrow it down, but we decided to go ahead and list just a few of the most common causes here:
Gingivitis
This is the first stage of gum disease and it’s probably the most common cause of bleeding gums. When plaque and bacteria are left to linger on the teeth, they start to attack the soft tissue around the teeth. The gums are an easy target, and when bacteria is allowed to eat away at them, they start to bleed.
Brushing Too Hard
While not brushing or flossing enough is the most common cause for gingivitis, the opposite can also be true. Sometimes if you’ve been brushing too hard or using a tooth brush that’s too hard, you can wear down your gums and cause them to bleed.
Contrary to popular belief, brushing harder does not equal cleaner teeth. In fact, you can end up doing more harm than good by scraping away your gums and tooth enamel. If your gums have started bleeding and the bristles of your toothbrush are bent backwards, you’re probably brushing too hard. Lighten up the pressure (there should be some pressure, but think of it more as gently buffing the teeth than giving them a hard scrubbing), and switch to a brush with soft bristles. If that doesn’t work, see your dentist.
Flossing
While flossing regularly is supposed to help keep your teeth and gums healthy, if you haven’t done it in a while, your gums may not be used to it. A little bleeding when you first start flossing is normal, especially if your oral health has deteriorated to the point where you’ve started to develop some gingivitis. If that’s the case, flossing is one of the best ways to clear out the plaque and bacteria and help get rid of the gingivitis. But if you’ve been flossing regularly and the bleeding persists, you should go see your dentist as soon as possible.
Medications
Some medications cause dry mouth, in which your mouth doesn’t produce enough saliva. Since part of saliva’s job is to help keep your mouth clean, a dry mouth can be a great environment for plaque and bad bacteria, which can lead to gingivitis. So if you’ve just started a new medication and you’ve noticed your mouth has been feeling dry no matter how much water you drink, you need to talk to your doctor about switching to a medication with fewer side effects.
Other medications, including many over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen, thin your blood, which means you bleed more easily, so look out for those potential side effects on the label as well.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy throws off everything. Your body has a system and then you add another person to the equation and your body starts producing hormones it wasn’t producing before and everything needs to be recalibrated. Among the many aspects of your health that could be affected by pregnancy is your oral health. Women who are pregnant are more likely to develop plaque and gingivitis so it’s important to be extra careful in caring for your teeth. Finally, don’t forget to let your dentist know you’re pregnant.
It is also recommended to incorporate Smart Mouth rinse along with the daily routine of brushing and flossing. Use the Smart Mouth rinse twice a day, each time you brush.
Because there are so many different causes for bleeding gums, it’s important to consult your dentist as soon as you start noticing the problem. They can talk to you about your lifestyle and oral health routine and what changes you should make to help your gums heal.
If you want to keep your teeth healthy and strong, you must take care of them. At Simply Smiles Dentistry, we can show you how to properly care for your teeth. You will have a great smile that lasts a lifetime.
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Until next time…Keep on Smiling!