When Should I Be Concerned about Bleeding Gums
No one wants to see blood in the sink when they are brushing their teeth, and yet inflamed, bleeding gums are not an uncommon problem to experience. It may be accompanied by pain or tenderness, or you might see evidence of blood with no other indication that there is a problem. While bleeding gums can sometimes be explained by simple trauma or overzealous flossing, it can also be a warning sign of an underlying condition, so it’s important to take note.
When to Worry
Generally speaking, a little blood is nothing to be worried about if you’ve recently slipped while flossing and gone a little too far, perhaps cut your mouth of a piece of grandma’s peanut brittle, or simply brushed a little too hard one night. In these kinds of instances, you can expect the problem to be resolved by the next day. If you find that you are seeing pink when you brush more than a couple times, it is probably time to contact your dentist and make an appointment. This ongoing inflammation and irritation could be an early sign of gum disease.
Gum Disease and Bleeding Gums
Gum disease is a common oral ailment affecting many adults around the world; it is more common that you will experience some form of gum disease during your lifetime than not. The first stage of gum disease is called gingivitis. While gingivitis might start with no signs or symptoms whatsoever, it can also present with slightly sore, red, inflamed gums that may bleed easily (for example, during regular brushing and flossing).
This irritation is due to the fact that gingivitis is a bacterial infection of the gums. It starts when plaque and tartar that have been allowed to accumulate on the teeth start to leach into the soft tissues of the gums. As an immune response, the gums then start to become inflamed and call more red blood cells into the tissue to fight the infection; while this is a positive bodily response, it also results in puffy, tender gums that may bleed.
Treating Gum Disease
At this stage of gum disease, reversal is still possible. Gingivitis can be effectively treated and cured by a deep cleaning of your teeth by your dental hygienist. Often, this is all that is required to battle gum disease in the form of gingivitis. In the following months, you simply need to adhere to regular brushing and flossing to keep gingivitis at bay.
Once it progresses past this initial stage, though, and starts to spread, turning into the next stage of gum disease called periodontitis, gum disease can no longer be reversed or cured but only managed. This can result in loose or even lost teeth, decreased bone mass, and a whole host of other problems, so if you see any of the warning signs of gingivitis, it is very important to see you dentist right away to get the treatment that you need. While it might sound too good to be true, one quick appointment could be all it takes to fend off gum disease and get you back on the path of good oral health. So don’t wait – call to make an appointment today!