Causes & Treatments For Bleeding Gums

If your gums are bleeding, there could be several reasons why. You could just be brushing too hard, or not using the right kind of toothbrush. In this article, we’ll discuss different causes and treatments for bleeding gums. Don’t forget to call us and ask about our gum treatment options in Las Vegas.

1. Gingivitis
2. Periodontal Pockets
3. Periodontitis

Brushing too hard.

Brushing too vigorously can cause gums to bleed. Brush gently to clean your teeth and gums, and use a brush that has soft bristles and blunt ends. When you brush, use a gentle circular motion to clean your teeth and gums.

Not getting enough of certain vitamins

If you’re deficient in vitamins C or K, that can also cause your gums to bleed. If your gums are bleeding, and your dentist has already ruled out improper gum care, ask him to check your levels of vitamins C and K.

Anemia

Pernicious anemia can also cause gums to bleed. This blood disorder occurs when the body can’t absorb enough vitamin B-12 properly. If you’re feeling weak, having headaches, chest pain and losing weight, and also have bleeding gums, ask your doctor to check you for pernicious anemia.

Medication

Certain medications can cause gums to bleed. These include: antiseizure medications like Phenytoin.
Cyclosporine, a medication used to prevent organ rejection for transplants.
Certain blood pressure medications like nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem, and amlodipine.

Men are more likely to develop bleeding gums from medications, but having dental plaque also raises the risk of developing bleeding gums from medication.

Hormone Changes

Women are more prone to bleeding gums at certain stages in their lives. During puberty, blood flow to the gums increases, which can cause gums to bleed. Their gums can also become more tender during their monthly menstrual cycle. Women who taking birth control pills that have the hormone progesterone in them may also be more vulnerable to swollen gums, because the body may react harshly to the toxins produced by higher levels of progesterone.

Let your dentist know if you’re taking birth control pills that have progesterone in them. Some pregnant women may develop a condition called pregnancy gingivitis, where their gums become tender during pregnancy. Women are also at a higher risk for gum and mouth problems during menopause. By the time a woman hits menopause, she’s older and may have more health problems. Older women are at a higher risk for bone loss – this can also affect the mouth and make the teeth become looser.

Infection

Infections can also cause gums to bleed. This includes not only mouth problems like periodontitis and gingivitis, it also includes diabetes and thrombocytopenia. They may also a sign of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes weakens your mouth’s ability to fight infection. In addition, high blood sugar levels can make it difficult for your body to heal, which can make it even worse.

Gum Treatments Las Vegas

Change your toothbrush

If an infection is causing your bleeding gums, changing your toothbrush can help reduce the infection. In addition, your toothbrush may have been what was spreading the infection in the first place. If your toothbrush is a medium or hard bristle brush, changing to a soft bristle toothbrush will definitely help your bleeding gums.

Get more vitamins, either through diet or supplements.

If your gums are bleeding because of a vitamin deficiency, taking supplements or adding more foods rich in these vitamins to your diet will help stop your gums from bleeding.

Quit smoking

If an infection isn’t causing your bleeding gums, but you do smoke, quitting may solve the problem.

Contact Nevada Dentistry and Braces

These are some of the different causes and treatments for bleeding gums. If you’ve tried changing your toothbrush, quitting smoking, and adding any vitamins to your diet that you may be deficient in, you definitely need to visit us. Please don’t hesitate to contact or Las Vegas, NV office for an appointment so we can figure out what the problem might be.