What Does it Mean if Your Gums Begin to Bleed?

Did you notice your gums bled slightly last time you brushed your teeth or perhaps when you flossed? If so you might have wondered what this means. Perhaps you thought the best thing to do was to stop brushing or flossing and to allow your gums to heal. On the face of it this might seem like a sensible thing to do but in fact it’s the worst possible course of action for your gums. Although there is a small chance that you did brush your gums too hard, causing them to bleed, unfortunately it’s more likely that they are infected. If you stop brushing, this allows the infection to get even worse. Instead, you should be booking an appointment with a dentist in Ladbroke Grove.

Why Do Gums Become Infected?

Your mouth contains lots of different types of bacteria, some of which are benign while others aren’t so friendly. Every day these bacteria build up which is why regular brushing and flossing is very important as this will remove most of them. If you don’t brush your teeth frequently enough or only occasionally floss, then harmful bacteria can build up over your teeth and gums. Additionally not brushing and flossing allows food debris to remain on your teeth, fuelling these bacteria and enabling them to thrive and multiply. As these bacteria build up, they produce toxins that infect your gums. Your body’s immune system will try to fight back and this causes inflammation. The end result is gums that bleed quite easily whenever you brush or floss and this is a symptom of gum disease.

Prompt Treatment Can Completely Cure Early Gum Disease

If you act quickly and see a dentist in Ladbroke Grove as soon as you can, then it’s possible for gum disease, which at this stage is called gingivitis, to be completely cured. Treatment is quite quick and straightforward and will simply involve having your teeth professionally cleaned by a hygienist and improving your oral care at home. You will find your Ladbroke Grove dentist and your hygienist can give you lots of friendly advice and practical help on how to improve brushing and flossing techniques. Afterwards your gums will still continue to bleed for a few weeks, but provided you persevere with your improved oral care, they should gradually become healthier and stronger until they no longer bleed.

Unfortunately treatment for advanced gum disease, a condition called periodontitis is often far more complex. Periodontitis can become chronic; meaning treatment with your Ladbroke Grove dentist will need to be ongoing to help control this infection.

Gum disease is one of the main reasons why we thoroughly recommend our patients visit our dentist in Ladbroke Grove every six months. Regular hygiene appointments help to keep your gums healthy and strong. Gum disease is very common but with proper dental care you don’t need to develop this condition. Instead you can enjoy healthy gums and great dental health right throughout lfe.

If you think you might have gum disease or if you are simply overdue for a check-up then why not give Ladbroke Grove Dental Care a call to book your appointment. Phone us on 020 7727 9836 or if it’s outside practice hours then you can request an appointment online at www.LadbrokeGrovedentalcare.co.uk.