What might be behind bleeding gums?


As Dr. Kristóf Forgó, a periodontist, wrote in our previous blog, bleeding gums is a typical form of periodontal disease. In today’s blog, we will look at the background of bleeding gums with our dental specialist.

Bleeding gums is a very common dental problem, so it affects most people for shorter or longer periods of their lives. If you have bleeding gums for many months or even years, you may be able to take it lightly if the colour of your toothpaste turns red with every brushing, but if this persistent bleeding affected any other part of your body, you would probably be less likely to be reassured and seek medical attention. Bleeding from the gums, which may occur frequently when brushing or even spontaneously, is always an indication of a deeper problem that needs treatment.

When bleeding from the gums when brushing, it is easy to think that the bleeding is caused by brushing too hard and trying to touch the gums less with the bristles of the toothbrush. In most cases, this has the opposite effect. This is because persistent bleeding from the gums is almost always caused by inflammation of the gums. The root cause of the inflammation is bacteria in plaque and tartar on the teeth. The persistent presence of these bacteria always causes gingivitis, and inflamed gums will bleed in response to any mechanical impact. In order to eliminate bleeding gums, it is therefore always necessary to eliminate the inflammation first, which requires the removal of plaque and tartar from the teeth. Plaque should be removed from our teeth as much as possible during our oral hygiene routine at home. However, a toothbrush alone cannot clean all the surfaces of the tooth. Gingivitis, and therefore bleeding, mostly affects the interdental area, as most people pay less attention to cleaning it. Using a toothbrush or floss is essential to maintain healthy gums and eliminate bleeding. Importantly, plaque containing the bacteria that cause inflammation can only be removed from teeth mechanically (with a toothbrush or tooth-cleaning brush), so different mouthwashes and toothpastes alone cannot eliminate the cause of the problem.

Plaque that has become permanently adherent will eventually form tartar, which cannot be removed by home methods, so you will need to seek the help of a dentist or dental hygienist. After tartar removal, you will experience a reduction in gingivitis and thus a reduction in bleeding gums. As long as oral hygiene practices are followed to the letter, bleeding from the gums will disappear in almost all cases.

However, bleeding gums are not always caused by inflammation of the gums alone. Persistent inflammation caused by bacteria can spread to deeper tissues, affecting the supporting structure of the teeth. In this case, we are talking about periodontal disease, one of the consequences of which can be the dislocation and loss of teeth. Therefore, if bleeding from the gums persists, it is worth seeing a dentist to check for this. If a specialist diagnoses periodontal disease, in most cases, a simple removal of tartar is not enough to eliminate the problem and further treatment is necessary. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the less intervention is needed in the future and the greater the chance of being able to maintain the stability of the teeth in the long term.

So persistent bleeding gums should not be taken lightly, as it may be caused by periodontal disease leading to tooth loss. To stop it, in most cases we need to see a specialist who can help us to overcome the bleeding, which can last for years, by cleaning and discussing oral hygiene in the dental practice.

If you haven’t had a dental visit in the last six months, we welcome you to our private dental practice at Trendo Dental, where our dentists and dental hygienists are ready to help you protect the health of your teeth and gums!

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