7 Possible Reasons Why Your Gum Bleeds

Just imagine you start brushing your teeth in the morning and notice bleeding from your gum? You might think it is as a result of toothbrushing but it persists. What would you do? Bleeding from your gum might result from something as simple as vigorous toothbrushing and can also be an indicator of underlying gum disease or medical disorders manifesting as gum bleeding. Bleeding from the gum can result in bad breath due to bacterial action on the blood, I guess you don’t want that. Education is key in taking charge of your oral health. Therefore watch out for the following reasons why your gum bleeds persistently.

POOR ORAL HYGIENE

Lack of good oral hygiene can result in accumulation of specks of dirt on the teeth, known as plaque and calculus. These incorporate different kinds of bacteria which irritate the gum and cause inflammation which can result in gum bleeding especially during toothbrushing or spontaneously in severe cases. Characteristically, inflamed gum will appear shining, reddish and swollen

SMOKING

It is not uncommon for smokers to brush aside the fact that smoking can cause gum bleeding. The truth is that it does. As a matter of fact, Being a smoker makes you to have twice the risk for gum disease compared with a non-smoker; the more cigarettes you smoke, the higher the risk of developing gum diseases. Wondering how smoking causes gum bleeding: Inhaled toxins accumulate on the teeth and gum which are difficult to remove during toothbrushing, smokers usually have a compromised body fighters’ response(immune system) to infection as well compromised healing process.

GENDER

Without being gender biased, sorry to let you know that being female increases your chances of having bleeding gum especially during pregnancy and menstruation.

During puberty, there is an increase in the level of the progesterone and oestrogen which result in increased blood circulation to the gum making the gum more sensitive to plaques and food particles. There is a similar risk of gum bleeding during pregnancy. Also menopausal women may experience what is termed menopausal gingivitis. In this situation, the mouth is dry, the gum appear red and swollen and bleeds easily due to irritation from food particles or plaques

VIGOROUS TOOTHBRUSHING

Most of us are guilty of this, most people believe that the harder and longer you brush your teeth, the cleaner it becomes. Sorry to break the news to you, overly vigorous toothbrushing does not improve your oral hygiene in any way. Rather, it strips off your gum from your tooth or teeth and causes trauma which can result in gum bleeding.

USE OF CERTAIN MEDICATIONS

The use of certain medication may result in bleeding from the gum or increase your chances of bleeding from the gum. Drugs such as Dilantin can result in the enlargement of the gum. Antihypertensive drugs such as nifedipine, verapamil can cause gingival enlargement which can bleed easily especially in the mouth with poor oral hygiene.

UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITION

There are certain medical conditions that make the gum bleeds readily. In leukaemia, the gum appears reddish, swollen and bleeds readily on irritation with plaque or toothbrushing. Bleeding or swollen gum may indicate underlying diabetes. In thrombocytopenia, a condition where the clot-forming component of the blood is low may cause gum bleeding.

NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY

Though rare, Vitamin C deficiency may be manifested through the gum bleeding. Persistent bleeding gum may be a manifestation of underlying haemophilia or Vitamin K deficiency.

Most dental problems are preventable if patients present earlier. If you are experiencing any of the above-listed, you need to visit your dentist for further examination and care.