It is not uncommon to hear patients say that their gums bleed when they brush or floss. Finding “pink in the sink” after oral hygiene routine can be a warning sign that your gums need attention. While it may not be cause for serious concern, your bleeding gums may be trying to tell you that they need some more diligent care. In fact, bleeding gums are often the first indication of gum disease. Left alone, gum disease can progress to cause gum recession and tooth loss.
Here are three reasons that you may see some blood when you brush your teeth:
- Poor diet
- If you eat high sugared foods and drinks, the damage goes beyond your teeth. Your gums can also be laden with this harmful sugar and bacteria combination, causing them to become red and inflamed – which means they will bleed easily.
- Poor brushing and flossing habits
- If you don’t brush and floss on a daily basis, the bacteria and plaque can accumulate inside your mouth and cause irritation within your gums. This is also true if you don’t clean well enough, such as using your brush or floss to get into small crevices and hard to reach areas within your smile.
- Brushing too hard
- It is possible that your gums are actually healthy, but you are just giving a little too much force to your brushing methods. If you brush too hard or too aggressively, the delicate gum tissues can bleed. Instead, switch to a soft-bristled brush and use gentle strokes to clean your teeth.
While it is obvious that your brushing habits can be corrected in order to stop bleeding gums, it is also highly likely that diseased gums can be reversed too. Especially when caught at its earliest stage (gingivitis), gum disease is very treatable. In fact, gingivitis can be reversed as quickly as two weeks in many cases. The most important rule of thumb when it comes to bleeding gums – don’t ignore it!
At Park South Dentistry, we offer the most advanced treatments for gum disease, and we want to know as soon as possible if you are experiencing any abnormal symptoms within your mouth. If you have flossed for the first time in months and see some blood, don’t shy away from the task. Continue to floss on a daily basis to restore optimal health to your gums, but do let us know if bleeding persists.
