Bleeding Gums Causes: Discover 6 Major Reasons & Remedies

The gum is an important part of the mouth. Most of us usually concentrate on the teeth when cleaning the mouth, without knowing that there will be no teeth if your gums are damaged. Your gums provides protection and support to your teeth. When you don’t take good care of them you will be at risk of developing oral health problems. Bleeding gums, tooth decay and gums recession are most likely to surface when you don’t take proper care of your gums.

However, if your gums bleed frequently, it might be a sign of a serious health condition. Using the wrong technique when brushing is among the most common cause of bleeding gums. Bleeding gums is not what you should ignore, getting treated fast enough at the early stage can help to prevent the progression to a more advanced form of gum disease. (1) In this article we will look at those that might be the cause of your bleeding gums.

Bleeding Gums Causes (2)

1.Gingivitis

This is the first stage of gum disease, the bleeding is usually painless. When you have gingivitis, it will make your gums red, swollen and irritated. You will also experience gums bleeding when you brush or floss. This health problem is commonly caused by plaque buildups at your gumline.

Plaque buildups, caused by poor oral hygiene, can be prevented by regular flossing and brushing. Neglecting to clean your mouth daily allows plaque to accumulate, leading to acid attacks on healthy tissue surrounding the teeth. To avoid this, it is crucial to take good care of your teeth and visit the dentist regularly. Additionally, untreated bleeding gums and gingivitis can progress into periodontitis, a severe gum disease that may require dentures.

2. Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a gum disease that causes damages to the gum tissues and the bones that supports the teeth. People suffering periodontitis are most likely to have gums recession and lose of their teeth. Signs of periodontitis may include: persistent bad breath, cavities, red or tender gums and loose teeth.

If you have periodontitis you will always experience bleeding gums and infections. Inflamed and infected gums can easily cause your gums to start pulling away from your teeth (receding gums). In my previous post I explained more on how gum disease can make your gums to receed.

3. Nutritional deficiency

Yeah, your bleeding gums can be as a result of lack of essential nutrients from the foods you eat. Minerals and vitamins are very important for maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Vitamins helps in growing, repairing, strengthening of the gum tissues and teeth. When you don’t get enough of these essential nutrients you can get swollen and bleeding gums.

• Vitamin C – when you don’t get enough vitamin C it can lead to scurvy. Scurvy it’s a serious disease, it can cause body weakness and numerous other health problems. Anemia and bleeding from your body tissues are commonly caused by scurvy.

• Vitamin K – bleeding gums can also be a sign of shortage of vitamin K in the body. Vitamin K is very important in the body as it helps in blood clotting. It also helps in the strengthening of your bones and teeth. Little or no vitamin K in your body can result to bleeding.

4. Diabetes

Studies have proven that lots of sugar in the blood can affect the health of our mouth. If you have diabetes you will be at risk of developing infections such as gum disease. High blood sugar levels lowers the ability of your body to fight infections. It also make it harder for your body tissues to heal when there is any damage or injury.

If you have bleeding gums and are concerned about your oral health as a diabetic, it’s crucial to consult with your doctor for suitable treatments.

5. Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood that can affect both children and adults. It impacts the gum tissue and can lead to gum bleeding. This condition compromises oral health as it reduces the production of active white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections.

If you have leukemia you are more likely to experience loss of weight without trying, swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen, easy bleeding or bruising and recurrent nosebleeds. (3)

6. Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)

This is a medical condition that affects the health when you have a low blood platelet count. The platelet are the colorless part of your blood that help in blood clotting, which is important for maintaining overall health. When there is any injury on your body, in order to stop bleeding, the blood platelets initiates blood clotting to avoid much loss of blood.

In some cases, when left untreated, low platelet count can lead to dangerous internal bleeding. When your body doesn’t produce enough platelets, bleeding becomes difficult to stop. People with thrombocytopenia may experience prolonged bleeding from cuts, bleeding from gums or nose, blood in urine or stools. Additionally, they may have unusually heavy menstrual flows, fatigue, and an enlarged spleen, all of which can impact their health.

Final Thoughts

Some of us are just predisposed to get gum disease. If any of your parents suffered from gum disease before, you might end up having it too. Simple genetic test by your dentist can help to determine your risk. Also, practicing good oral hygiene can help to prevent plaque buildups, gums bleeding and infections.

Regular professional oral cleaning and dental exams is very important for preventing gum disease. It can help to detect and treat gum issues before they progress into more serious gum disease and damages. So, it’s important that you visit your dentist if you experience persistent gums bleeding for proper evaluation and treatment.