Bleeding gums is a common oral health problem that most adults experience at some point in their life. If your gums bleed while you floss or brush your teeth, it could be regarded as a simple brush/floss error. While bleeding in this scenario is common, sometimes it could also indicate that your oral health is very poor and there is an underlying health problem waiting underneath.

Anything ranging from vigorous brushing, injury, pregnancy, or inflammation can cause the gums to bleed. But if you see your gums unusually red in color, it could mean there is inflammation present. This is a sign that there is a bigger problem in your oral health which could lead to serious health issues such as periodontitis and gingivitis. This often means a visit to a dentist with bad news waiting for you.

It is very important to identify the cause of bleeding to determine if you need a check up from your dentist. Once you have found out the cause, you can either get the issue treated by a dentist, or if it isn’t serious, you can try the steps listed below to help control or eliminate bleeding at home.

Quit Smoking

• For those of you who smoke regularly, you should know that smoking can cause gum diseases in addition to risks of heart disease, cancer and stroke. In a recent study, it was concluded that smoking plays a major role in causing severe gum diseases.

This is because smoking damages your immune system which makes it harder for your body to fight against bacteria which results in bleeding gum leading to gum disease. If your gums bleed more often than they should, smoking is probably the cause.

Maintain perfect oral hygiene

• Oral hygiene should never be looked past. Gums can easily become inflamed if there is a buildup of plaque around the gum line. For those of you who are not familiar with plaque, it is a thin film containing various bacteria that tends to cover your gums and teeth. If you don’t regularly brush or floss your teeth to remove plaque on a daily basis, your gums may start to bleed leading to a serious gum disease.

To maintain a perfect oral hygiene, make sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day. Add dental flossing at least once a day for better results.

Try to reduce your stress

• A recent study on stress and its relation to oral health has found that stress has a link with periodontal disease. According to various researchers, emotional stress has an overall negative effect on the immune system of our body. When the immune system weakens, various diseases may result including gum infection and more.

To reduce stress, try to add in a bit of exercise with healthy diet on a daily basis and avoid overworking. Spending valuable time with family also reduces stress levels.

Hydrogen peroxide for rinsing mouth

• Hydrogen peroxide is very effective in removing plaque from the teeth and gums. It also promotes good gum health which ultimately prevents them from bleeding. If your gums bleed regularly, try rinsing your mouth with hydrogen peroxide after you finish brushing your teeth.

Hydrogen peroxide has proven to help reduce inflammation of the gums. It can also reduce swelling, receding, and bleeding gums.

Apply cold compress

• If you are in for a quick solution for bleeding gums, you can use a cold compress applied to the gum line. This method is often used when you suffer from an oral injury and when there are no symptoms of gum disease. Cold compress effectively reduces the flow of blood towards the gums which stops the bleeding. Apply the cold compress for at least 20 minutes for best results.

Increase intake of Vitamins K and C

• Vitamin C can help strengthen your overall immune system which then helps the body to fight against various gum infections that can cause bleeding. If your diet lacks Vitamin C, you may experience unusual bleeding from the gums. You can get plenty of vitamin c by consuming sweet potatoes, oranges, carrots and red peppers.

If natural ways do not work, you can always get yourself a vitamin C supplement.

• Similarly Vitamin K also plays a big role in controlling bleeding of gums. Vitamin K is a very important micro-nutrient that helps the blood clot. Anyone suffering from vitamin K deficiency will experience bleeding gums on a regular basis.

You can get plenty of vitamin K by consuming spinach, kale, mustard greens and collard greens.

Use plenty of green tea

• Replace coffee or tea with green tea on a daily basis to help reverse periodontal disease that causes bleeding gums. Green tea is full of catechin which is a natural antioxidant that lowers the inflammatory response in our mouth caused by bacteria.

Try to consume at least 3-4 cups of green tea on a daily basis if you are suffering from occasional bleeding gums.

Reduce carbs in your diet

• As surprising as it may sound, reducing carbohydrates from your diet can help improve your oral health and prevent any gum diseases. Carbohydrates encourage plaque which leads to increased growth of bacteria inside the mouth. Hence the more carbohydrates you consume, the more chances plaque will accumulate on the gums. This leads to bleeding gums.

When to visit a dentist

• The steps mentioned above are an excellent way to control your bleeding gums but are not necessarily permanent cure to the problem. If at any time you experience unusual bleeding from the gums, or redness, swelling, softness of the gums, it is a good idea to pay a visit to the dentist.

Common gum bleeding should stop within 7-10 days. If the bleeding does not go away even after you have tried using all the methods listed above for the recommended time, there could be some other health issue which only a dentist can find out about.

Remember, gums do not bleed on their own, there is always a hidden problem which should be taken care of before things get bad.

If you need more help we would love to see you. Icon Dental Center has two wonderful locations in Everett & Seattle Washington. Visit here to learn more: https://icondentalcenter.com/contact-us/