It can be alarming when you are brushing your teeth and you notice blood begin to emanate from your gums around your teeth. It might be easiest to just ignore it, but there is always an underlying cause; taking corrective action could prevent a minor problem from turning into a more serious dilemma. Bleeding gums can be an early sign of gum disease or inflammation caused by the buildup of plaque on your teeth. It can even be caused by brushing too vigorously and/or using a toothbrush with bristles that are too hard. Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to consider some of the following ideas for maintaining healthy gums.
Practice Better Dental Care
Sometimes we get busy, and the care that we put into our dental routine may suffer. If you are skimping on the number of times that you are flossing in a week, it can lead to plaque buildup and inflammation, which can cause bleeding gums. There can also be bacteria lodged between your teeth that a toothbrush can’t remove alone. Make sure to take the time to brush and floss each day as a normal part of your dental care routine. You should also make sure that you are brushing with a soft bristled toothbrush. A medium or firm bristled brush may be causing harm to your gums and causing more damage. Use short, gentle strokes to most effectively clean your teeth and not cause bleeding gums.
It is also important to avoid using medications which are also blood thinners like Ibuprofen or aspirin when possible. They can lower your gums resistance to common brushing and lead to bleeding. It is also a good idea to add a mouth rinse to your dental routine. Using an ADA approved mouth wash will give your teeth and gums a cleaning and prevent infection and lessen gum bleeding.
Manage Stress Better
It is a proven fact that if a person is under a lot of stress, their health can take a turn for the worse. This holds true for the health of your gums as well. There are several factors that can lead to bleeding in the gums. Stress itself causes inflammation in your body that reaction can happen in the gums, which can lead to bleeding. A large amount of stress can also weaken your immune system, which makes fighting infection in sensitive areas (like your gums) difficult to heal. There have been studies done that have verified the connection.
Taking care of yourself is very important, and optimal oral health is crucial. Periods of high stress can cause people to lose focus on taking care of themselves. It’s important to try to handle stress better through exercise, controlled breathing or even meditation; you will see your overall health improve, and even your gum health.
Don’t Use Tobacco Products
Those who have the habit of using tobacco and smoking or chewing tobacco are putting their long-term health at risk. Aside from a higher risk of heart disease or cancer, there’s also a higher chance of developing gum disease as well. All of the harmful toxins that a person ingests when they use tobacco rob your gums of the valuable nutrition that they need. When this happens, inflammation can result that may lead to bleeding. Continued smoking or chewing can lead to serious gum disease, tooth loss or even cancer. Quitting can be hard, but it is much better for both your oral health, and your overall well-being.
Here is a quick recap of some of the things that you should do in order to address bleeding gums:
- Brush your teeth and gums with a soft-bristle toothbrush.
- Unless recommended by your doctor, avoid the use of aspirin, ibuprofen or similar blood-thinning drugs.
- Floss your teeth daily.
- Avoid the use of tobacco products.
- Use an ADA-approved mouth rinse.
