Want to Know How to Stop Bleeding Gums? Learn Why It Happens First!
Are your gums bleeding when brushing your teeth? Don’t worry, and there’s no need to go looking for an emergency dentist in Arlington Heights just yet. There are plenty of things that can cause sore gums that wouldn’t require emergency dental services. However, if your gums start bleeding without any prodding on your part, it might be a different story.
As we’ll explain in a moment, your gums are just like any other part of your body. They can be affected by many different factors, including your dental hygiene habits, diet, even hormonal changes. And those are only some of the factors that make some people’s gums more sensitive than others’.
Ultimately, the occasional drop of blood that might come from your gums after a particularly energetic brushing session should be nothing to worry about. However, if it happens more often than that, or even regularly, it may be a sign of a more serious condition.
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Why Are My Gums Bleeding?
Ideally, our gums should provide a good seal around our teeth. However, because they’re fused with the roots of our teeth, they can start bleeding due to a knocked-out tooth or other physical damages. Conversely, if a filling fell out, it shouldn’t be too much of a concern for gum health as most fillings don’t reach our gums. A broken dental crown, on the other hand, might be a large enough issue to affect the gums.
Of course, when we find ourselves asking how to stop bleeding gums, we’re usually in a situation without an obvious cause. In that case, the bleeding might come from any number of conditions, including:
- Bad oral hygiene
- Irregular or aggressive flossing
- Forceful brushing
- Poor diet
- Smoking
- Stress
- Pregnancy
- Gum disease
- Other medical conditions
- Blood-thinning medication
So to begin with, let’s discuss how poor oral hygiene affects our gums. If we neglect to brush our teeth properly, the buildup will turn into plaque. The sticky layer of bacteria will close down on the gums, burrowing under them. Eventually, the acid-producing bacteria will cause inflammation, swelling, and redness.
Consequently, our gums tend to be overly sensitive when we do decide to brush and floss our teeth after a long break. Irregular stimulation of the gums can also lead to bleeding, which is why we can’t only floss every other week. Moreover, if we’re generally forceful while brushing or flossing, we ought to take that into account when buying oral hygiene supplies.
