Say you’re brushing your teeth like you do every night, moving the bristles back and forth across your smile. Then you pull the brush away to spit out the toothpaste into your sink, when you notice a bit of red among the minty blue. You pull your lip up to expose your gums, finding a small amount of blood near your gum line. Well, surely bleeding gums is normal… right?
While it’s true that gums do occasionally bleed, especially if you brush your teeth too hard, persistent bleeding gums may be a sign of something more. If you’re experiencing frequent gum bleeding, visit Bivona Family Dental as soon as possible!
Potential Causes of Bleeding Gums
There are various reasons why your gums may be bleeding, as it isn’t always a sign of something worse. Potential causes for gum bleeding are:
Gum irritation: Brushing or flossing too roughly may irritate your gum tissue. While your intentions may be good, your gums are sensitive and require gentle care to maintain their health. We recommend brushing your teeth lightly and, if possible, allowing an electric toothbrush to do most of the work for you!- Peri-implantitis: Dental implants are titanium screws that secure into your jawbone to replace missing teeth. While these implants often secure to your bone with little problem, there are rare cases where the tissues surrounding the implant get infected. This may cause bleeding gums and, in the worst cases, lead to implant failure.
- Gum disease: In its earliest stage, gum disease is known as gingivitis. Signs of gingivitis include red, swollen, and bleeding gums, as the gum line accumulates bacteria. As soon as you experience these symptoms, please visit Bivona Family Dentistry for an emergency dental care appointment! Without prompt treatment, your bleeding gums will worsen, causing irreparable damage to your smile.
Signs of Gum Disease
Gum disease is an infection of the gums that advances over time, spreading to the jawbone. Most often, this disease is a result of poor oral hygiene. However, some patients may have a genetic predisposition or increased risk factors due to smoking or diabetes.
The first stage of gum disease often goes undetected, as the symptoms are easy to ignore. That’s why it’s so important to understand the signs of gum disease, so you can stop the infection before it spreads.
Signs of gum disease include:
- Bleeding gums: Red, swollen, sensitive, and bleeding gums are all signs of infection. They require immediate attention before the infection begins to spread.
- Persistent bad breath: As bacteria gather beneath your gum line, they break down proteins and release foul-smelling odors that cause bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth.
- Gum discoloration: Infected gum tissue tends to change in color, becoming a deep red or even purple. This discoloration is usually a sign that something is wrong with your gum health.
- Periodontal pockets: As the infection spreads, your gums may begin to pull away from your teeth, creating deep pockets that allow bacteria to gather.
- Gum recession: This infection eats away at your soft tissues, causing your gums to recede away from your teeth. In some cases, this may make it easier for the bacteria to reach your bone, eventually leading to tooth loss if left untreated.
However, it’s important to note that many of these signs are for the more advanced type of gum disease known as periodontitis. Without prompt treatment at the first sign of bleeding gums, gingivitis will advance into the much more severe periodontitis.
How We Treat Gingivitis
Gingivitis is most often characterized by bleeding gums and irritated gum tissue, but these signs aren’t usually painful. Many patients like you ignore the warning signs of gingivitis, forgoing gum disease treatment until it’s already too late!
Many effects of periodontitis are irreversible, as the body can’t naturally regenerate bone or teeth. Fortunately, Bivona Family Dental offers comprehensive treatment for gum disease!
We begin with an urgent dental care appointment, as this disease requires prompt treatment. During your appointment, we will conduct a thorough dental examination to identify any potential issues with your smile. If we find gingivitis, we’ll begin right away with a thorough dental cleaning.
Generally, we recommend that patients visit us every six months for routine dental cleanings. However, for those with gingivitis or a predisposition to gum disease, we recommend visiting us more frequently for check-ups. At these appointments, we will perform a thorough cleaning of your smile, ensuring that we reach all areas your toothbrush may not be able to access.
Most importantly, treatment for gingivitis happens at home, too! Maintaining an excellent and thorough dental hygiene routine is crucial for preventing infections.
Bleeding Gums? Visit Bivona Family Dental!
Brushing your teeth shouldn’t be painful, and the sight of bleeding gums should be very few and far between. To take care of your smile, be sure to brush lightly, visit for routine dental visits, and maintain a healthy oral hygiene routine! At your first sign of trouble, visit Bivona Family Dental to learn how we can help treat your bleeding gums!
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