Although gingival bleeding is a symptom of diseases that may occur in the gums, it can also occur due to other health problems. Gum bleeding may occur due to brushing the teeth too hard, using the dental floss too hard, or using the dentures incorrectly. In addition to these and other daily problems, gingival bleeding can also indicate diseases such as periodontitis, leukemia, vitamin deficiency and platelet deficiency. Such diseases cause the gums to bleed more easily and become inflamed. For this reason, those who have bleeding gums should definitely apply to health institutions to find out the cause of this problem and start the treatment process.
What is bleeding gums?
The threat of gingival bleeding to the health of the individual begins with excessive plaque accumulation in the gums. The sticky and colorless bacterial plaque called gingivitis, which occurs as a result of plaque accumulation, causes inflammation in the gums. These plaques cause bleeding over time and cause the individual to have unhealthy gums. Excessive plaque accumulation can cause bleeding, as well as a much more serious health problem called periodontitis, which can lead to jawbone disease. These and similar diseases that occur in the mouth negatively affect the health of the individual and lead to a decrease in the quality of life. For this reason, gingival bleeding should be taken seriously, the causes of this problem should be learned by consulting a dentist, and the treatment process should be started as soon as possible.
What are the symptoms of bleeding gums?
Bleeding gums is most commonly noticed in the form of blood while brushing teeth. In addition, some sensitivity problems will arise as different symptoms of the disease that causes gum bleeding. The main symptoms of gingival bleeding are tingling in the gums while consuming hot and cold drinks, feeling pressure on the gums while chewing food, redness of the gums and swelling as a result, and excessive tightening of the gums by the prostheses used.
What are the causes of bleeding gums?
Many diseases, not just gingival diseases can cause gingival bleeding. The most common causes of bleeding gums are:
- Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease. Common symptoms include tenderness and redness of the gums. It occurs due to the fact that the plaques that occur on the gums are not cleaned over time, and these plaques lead to the reproduction of bacteria. For this reason, when sensitivity and redness occur in the gums, a specialist should be consulted and the disease should be treated before it progresses.
- Some drugs may cause bleeding of the gums as a side effect. In particular, blood thinners will facilitate bleeding in the gums, as they will make blood clotting difficult. In order to avoid this problem, the drugs to be used should be taken under expert control, and more sensitive oral care products should be preferred in these people. Going out of the daily routine in oral cleaning sometimes causes bleeding of the gums, in such cases it may be necessary to see a specialist and return to the old routine.
- The hormonal activities that change during pregnancy can cause gingival sensitivity. Bleeding may occur during dental care due to the increase in blood flow in the gums. Oral health can only be achieved with regular daily oral care. For this reason, teeth should be brushed at least 2 times a day, floss should be used and the tongue should be cleaned.
- An unhealthy diet is another factor that can lead to bleeding gums. Some ingredients in processed foods can irritate the gums and cause sensitivities. In addition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies are also very effective on the deterioration of oral and dental health. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to adequate and balanced nutrition.
- The stress brought by modern life can lead to many diseases as well as oral diseases. Stress causes vascular health to deteriorate and the immune system to become weak. As a result, oral health may deteriorate and gingival bleeding may occur.
- If the food is not chewed in accordance with the tooth structure, bleeding may occur in the gums as pressure will be applied to the wrong places. In fact, this situation may cause bite disease in the future.
Smoking not only damages many things, but also affects the gums very badly. Harmful substances in cigarette smoke can accumulate in the gums and cause infections. Therefore, smoking should be avoided to prevent gum bleeding.
How to diagnose bleeding gums?
Bleeding gums are often the result, not the cause. In order to prevent this result, it is necessary to regularly seek help from a specialist. Daily oral and dental care should be done regularly, in addition, a dentist should be examined at least once every 6 months. All problems related to oral health can be easily detected with a dentist examination. Possible dental diseases can be easily diagnosed as a result of the examination by the dentist during the examination and sharing the problems experienced by the patient with the physician. In some cases, some tests may be requested by the physician to facilitate the diagnosis. After all these procedures, the underlying cause of gingival bleeding and other oral health problems can be determined and an appropriate treatment process can be started.
How to treat bleeding gums?
The first step in the treatment of bleeding gums is to carry out individual oral care regularly and carefully. In addition to daily oral care, if you have a diagnosed oral and dental health disease, you should undergo a dental examination twice a year, as often as your doctor recommends. Proper brushing and flossing of the teeth will also reduce the risk of gum bleeding significantly, as it will minimize the formation of dental plaque. Since gingival bleeding is often caused by bacterial infections, the use of antiseptic mouthwashes can also prevent bleeding from occurring. Since gargling with warm and salt water will relieve the gums, it can be used in bleeding treatments. It is often recommended to use a soft-tipped toothbrush in order not to damage the gums. Especially individuals with sensitive gums should prefer this type of toothbrush. However, electric toothbrushes, the use of which has increased in recent years, is more suitable for effective teeth cleaning and helps to clean the gums more. In addition to these, some drug treatments may be required in individuals with more advanced gingival bleeding problems and who make daily life, eating and oral care extremely difficult. Medicines, special toothpastes, mouthwashes and pain relievers may be recommended for this. With the treatment recommended by the physician and a correct oral care, it will be possible to completely eliminate the gingival bleeding problem.
If you are also suffering from bleeding gums, you should immediately consult a dentist and be examined. If you have any disease that causes bleeding in your gums, you can completely prevent this problem by taking treatment for it, and you can prevent serious problems that may progress to tooth loss in the future.
