Just like other dental issues, bleeding gums are simple as well as complicated. If your gums are bleeding because of wrong brushing and flossing techniques, you shouldn’t be concerned. Only a few changes in your dental habits and brushing techniques will resolve your problem. But sometimes, things aren’t simple. Gum bleeding indicates some serious health problems that you should be concerned about. The problems can be both dental and non-dental.
To know if bleeding gums are serious, you should know the reasons behind the same. Here is the list of reasons that lead to gum bleeding.
Dental reasons
- Gingivitis
- Periodontitis
Non-dental reasons
- HIV infection
- Anemia-related bleeding gums
- Herpes infection
- Stress-induced bleeding gums
- Leukemia and gum cancer
- Deficiency of factor V
Other reasons
- During pregnancy
- Deficiency of Vitamin C and Vitamin K
What should you do if your gums bleed?
First and most important, you should find out the actual reason for the problem. And for that, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist. The dentist will examine the concerned area thoroughly and try to determine the actual reason. He will conduct several tests and get to the core of the problem.
If the gums are bleeding because of dental reasons i.e. Gingivitis and Periodontitis, the dentist will start the treatment straight away. For other reasons, the dentist will give you the right advice and help you get out of the same. You will have to seek help from other healthcare specialists if the reasons are non-dental. The treatments will be very different for non-dental reasons.
How does a dentist treat bleeding gums?
If you have gingivitis, the dentist will teach you to brush and properly. There is a proper technique that you will have to follow to remove plaque from your gum line. Removal of plaque and no deposition over time will reduce the risk of Periodontitis. It means the condition will not be serious for you. But for this, you will have to visit your dentist regularly so that he can detect the early signs of gingivitis.
Other than teaching brushing, dentists prescribe an antiseptic mouthwash to minimize plaque formed in the mouth. Mouthwash loosens the depositions, which come out while flossing.
If your gums are bleeding because of periodontal diseases, the treatment will not be simple. A simple brushing technique and mouthwash will be enough for you.
To remove the plaque, the dentist will opt for dental cleaning, which will take one or more sittings based on the level of depositions. Along with this, the dentist will prescribe a few medications to treat bleeding gums.
Whether your gums are bleeding for a day or more, it’s a matter of concern. So, you should visit the dentist immediately and get treated.