Bleeding gums: causes and treatments

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Extract from the article: Healthy gums are pink and do not bleed. Bleeding gums are common. It should not be neglected if it is chronic, as it can lead to or reveal periodontal disease

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Healthy gums are pink and do not bleed. Bleeding gums are common. It should not be neglected if it is chronic, as it can lead to or reveal periodontal disease, i.e. disease of the tissues surrounding and supporting the tooth. Repeated bleeding should prompt a visit to the dental surgeon to find the cause and treat it.

Tooth bleeding, also known as gingivorrhagia, is caused primarily by gingivitis, a common inflammation of the gums. The gums bleed when you brush your teeth or bite into an apple, or simply when you spit saliva in the morning - this is known as spontaneous bleeding. This phenomenon is never normal.

It can be due either to a local cause, i.e. linked to the immediate environment of the tooth or mouth, or to a general cause, i.e. linked to the general state of the individual, thus revealing an underlying general illness.

In most cases, bleeding from the gums can be simply due to poor oral hygiene and sometimes to an iatrogenic cause, such as over-aggressive tooth brushing, incorrect use of industrial or plant-based toothbrushes or toothpastes. In the case of a local cause due to poor oral hygiene, bleeding Often, this bleeding is a sign of periodontal disease. The culprit? Dental plaque. Badly eliminated every day, plaque is the cause of tartar formation. The bacteria in plaque and tartar cause inflammation of the gums: gingivitis.

Gingivitis

In Africa and Togo, many people do not seem to be aware of the impact of periodontal disease, and have little awareness of the warning signs, even though these pathologies are more responsible for premature tooth loss than tooth decay. It is important to consult your dentist as soon as bleeding gums appear.

If left untreated, gingivitis develops into periodontitis, which can eventually lead to tooth loosening and loss.  Untreated periodontitis also increases the risk of worsening other general pathologies, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature delivery in pregnant women. Gum bleeding is common during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones promote inflammation of the gums or gingivitis.

Other causes of bleeding

Bleeding gums can be due to other causes, including general illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, anaemia, vitamin C deficiency, and certain medicines can also lead to bleeding gums.

What treatments are available?

Treatment for bleeding gums depends on the cause. If the bleeding is linked to a general disorder, this is managed by a specialist doctor in conjunction with the dental surgeon, who will place particular emphasis on local care such as regular brushing and scaling.

If the bleeding is due to a local cause, it will be dealt with by the dentist. If the gums are bleeding as a result of gum inflammation, there is no point in stopping brushing to protect the gums, as this will only aggravate the condition.

On the contrary, brushing should be improved to help eliminate bacterial plaque. The choice of toothpaste is also important, as some are suitable for sensitive, bleeding gums. In any case, all gingivitis requires a consultation with a dental surgeon, who can first identify the cause of the gingivitis and then provide the appropriate treatment.  Once the cause of the gingivitis has been diagnosed, the dentist can perform supra- and subgingival scaling (curettage) or any other periodontal disease management technique to remove accumulated bacterial plaque and tartar.

To avoid gingivitis, we strongly recommend that you follow these 3 tips: a healthy diet, rigorous oral hygiene with brushing twice a day and a systematic visit to the dentist at least once a year with careful and rigorous scaling.

William O.

Article validated by Dr Georges Tokofai,