What Causes Bleeding Gums
Bleeding gums are one of the more common symptoms of gum disease, but if your gums are bleeding, this could also be a sign of an underlying health problem. Occasional bleeding could arise if you’re brushing your teeth too forcefully or if your dentures or other dental restoration doesn’t fit correctly. Frequent bleeding of the gums could be a sign of disease, including cancer or diabetes, a problem with the blood platelets that facilitate clotting, or of malnutrition or vitamin deficiency. While some of these causes of bleeding gums are clearly significant, the most common cause of bleeding gums is gingivitis, also known as gum disease, which is inflammation in the gums that is usually caused by improper oral hygiene. When gingivitis is caught early and treated properly, it can be reversed and the gums can be restored to health. When it is not treated, it can progress to periodontitis, a disease that infects the systems that support the teeth in the mouth and causes bone loss and the detachment and gradual loss of the teeth.
Gingivitis develops when plaque is allowed to accumulate on the teeth, especially at the gum line, for too long. Plaque is the bacteria and food debris that mixes with saliva and adheres to the teeth, and you can remove plaque from your teeth with proper brushing and flossing, but even with a good oral hygiene regimen, some plaque can remain along the gum line. When this plaque calcifies on the teeth, it turns into dental calculus, which is also called tartar, and can only be safely removed by a dental professional using clinical tools. When calculus accumulates at the gum line, gum disease develops. Symptoms of gingivitis include swelling and soreness in and around the gums, bad breath and a bad taste in the mouth, and bleeding from the gum tissue.
Deficiencies in vitamins C and K can also cause the gums to bleed, though gingivitis should be ruled out before exploring other possibilities for bleeding gums. See your dentist if your gums bleed chronically over a period of more than a week, and ask for a blood test if you don’t have gingivitis, or if the bleeding doesn’t stop when gingivitis is treated. Foods that can help if you’re deficient in vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, dark greens like kale, bell peppers, and potatoes. Foods that are rich in vitamin K include spinach, chard, and similar dark greens; soybeans; and olive and canola oils. Ask your doctor for dietary recommendations to incorporate these foods into your diet; they’ll provide the added benefit of improving your overall health while helping to stop your bleeding gums.
If your bleeding gums are caused by an ill-fitting dental restoration, your dentist can help refit your dentures or modify your dental restoration so that it stops irritating your gum tissue. If you have an oral appliance that is causing your gums to bleed, talk to your orthodontist and ask for an adjustment. If your bleeding gums are caused by an underlying medical condition, a referral from your dentist could help with early detection, and working with your doctor and your dental team can help prevent the problem from recurring while treating the underlying condition. Protecting the health and integrity of the gums can help protect the health of the mouth and have positive effects on the overall health, too.