Do Your Gums Bleed When Brushing Teeth?

So you noticed a little bit of blood on your toothbrush this morning. Did you panic or did you put it down to brushing too hard or perhaps just catching a bit of your gum? Many people will put down to using too hard a toothbrush. It’s possible that this might be the case as some people mistakenly use a hard bristled brush, thinking that it’ll clean their teeth more effectively.

 

Gums Bleed When Brushing Teeth to Hard

If this applies to you then you should stop doing this immediately and switch to a soft or medium bristled brush. It’s a common mistake thinking you need to brush your teeth very hard in order to get good results. In fact you don’t need to use any real force as all when brushing your teeth as it only takes gentle, circular movements to get your teeth thoroughly clean. But what happens if you’re already using a soft bristle toothbrush and know deep down that you didn’t brush your teeth to hard this morning? In this case it’s worth panicking, just a little bit and taking action as soon as you can.

 

It’s Possible Your Gums Are Infected

This can sound alarming, and it’s right that you should sit up and take notice of it as gum infections should never be ignored. That little bit of blood in your toothbrush this morning, or in the sink when you spat out the excess toothpaste could well be a sign of gum disease as this is one of the very first symptoms to develop. If you look at your gums in the mirror, you may also notice they look slightly swollen or red rather than a nice healthy pink. Even if they look perfectly normal to you, it’s still worth booking an appointment with a periodontist for a proper evaluation why do your gums bleed when brushing teeth.

 

What Causes Gum Disease?

Most cases of gum disease are caused by inattention to oral hygiene so if you know you have been skipping regular flossing and brushing or perhaps not being brushing your teeth for long enough. Then you could be at risk of gum disease and your gums bleed when brushing teeth.

Some people are more at risk of developing gum disease than others, and this can apply if you have any conditions that affect your immune system and which make it more difficult for you to fight off infections.  Gum disease is caused by bacteria building up on the gums to such a level that the body will try to fight back, producing inflammation in the gums that produces that characteristic swelling and redness, this is why your gums bleed when brushing teeth. It’s a truly serious disease as can ultimately lead to tooth loss, but can affect your general health.

One of the huge problems with gum disease is that people often ignore those early symptoms, such as a little bit gums bleed when brushing teeth and they may even be tempted not to brush for a day or two, thinking that gums will heal. In fact this is the worst thing you could do as you need to take action as soon as possible to remove the infection. Visiting a good periodontist such as Dr. NavidRahmani is easily the most effective way to treat gum disease. You can have a proper periodontal evaluation followed by the best and most up-to-date treatments to hopefully eradicate gum disease.

 

In: General Periodontal Topics | Gum Disease | Periodontal Disease

Tags: