How to Get My Gums to Stop Bleeding?

While bleeding gum tissue is not necessarily cause for alarm, it should never be ignored. Occasional bleeding of the gums is pretty normal, but it can be an indicator of gum disease or an underlying medical condition. Bleeding gums that persist beyond a week or two need to be addressed as soon as possible.

How do I get my gums to stop bleeding?

It is important to identify the reason that your gums are bleeding, so in order to identify the cause, you will need to see your dentist. If your dentist finds that your mouth is otherwise healthy but you have bleeding in your gum tissue, they may recommend a visit to your primary care physician.

If the cause of your bleeding gums is poor oral hygiene, a visit to your dentist or to a periodontist for a professional cleaning could be all you need to get things back to normal. After a cleaning, you must improve your home care routine so that you do not relapse and have continued problems.

Without intervention, gingivitis (an early stage of gum disease) will progress into periodontitis. When plaque and bacteria are not regularly removed with brushing and flossing, dental decay can begin to eat away at tooth structure, and the gum tissue can start to recede from the tooth surface, exposing tooth roots and causing a significant amount of sensitivity.

Bleeding gums during oral care could mean that you are not using proper techniques. If you are brushing too hard or using anything other than a soft-bristle toothbrush, you could be cutting your gums and harming your enamel every time you brush. Patients who do not floss regularly almost always have bleeding when they start flossing, but with continued use, their gums will become healthier and able to withstand flossing.

It is important to identify the cause of your bleeding gums so that you can address the problem and not just the symptom. Your dentist should be your first contact if you experience bleeding gums that last longer than a couple of weeks.

Related Article: When Should I Be Concerned with Bleeding Gums?