Are your gums bleeding?  Is that just a few streaks of blood while brushing or does it flow out easily upon slightest irritation of gums?

Don’t panic!!  – Bleeding gums is a very common gum issue faced by 90% of the population across the globe. This is the first sign of gum disease also know as gingivitis and can be definitely resoled. Important aspect to be noted is, gingivitis should be addressed at the earliest to avoid further spread of gum disease to supporting structures and loss of teeth. Not Just that! On a long term your gums need care on a regular basis.

Do you know about your gums?

Gum is the beautiful, soft, pink layer of tissue that surrounds your teeth. It acts as the casing for your dentition. It basically covers the teeth and the bone that support these teeth. Gums make dentition look attractive too.

 Teeth are designed to take up heavy loads while chewing food. But they need to be supported by bone which can firmly hold them and absorb the forces applied.

Thus, for your dentition to be healthy and strong, well being of your tooth supporting bone is crucial. This in turn depends on the health and firmness of your gums. Any disease or infection of gums known as gingivitis spreads further down beneath and affects the health of supporting periodontal ligament and surrounding bone. This is periodontitis. Long term gum disease/periodontitis lead to bone loss and hence loss of teeth.

Why do your gums bleed?

Reasons for gums to bleed are many:

• Poor Oral Hygiene: Poor oral hygiene can lead to deposits on teeth and stains. Initial stages the deposit is called plaque. It is a soft layer that accumulates on surfaces of teeth. Gradually this harbours various microorganisms and their toxins. These toxins induce irritation in gums and leads to gingivitis.

• Mechanical Irritation To Gums: This could be because of

1. Faulty fillings

2.  Ill fitting dentures

3. Sharp  broken teeth

4. Using sharp pins to clean teeth,

5. Improper methods  of brushing and flossing

6. Abnormal habits like biting nails, pins, buttons

7. Smoking or chewing tobacco

• Hormonal Disturbances: This is very much observed during

1. Puberty: Hormones released during puberty, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause affect the normal balance of oral microorganisms in mouth and induce gingivitis.

2. Diabetes Mellitus: Commonly called diabetes is directly connected to gum disease. Changes in gum condition reflect variations in blood sugar level.

• Vit C Deficiency: Vit C is crucial in the structure and functioning of healthy gums. They are the components of fibre (Collagen) which are the building blocks in gums. Their deficiency affects formation of these collagen fibres and lead to swelling, puffiness in gums. Vit C also helps to improve defence mechanisms in gums and crucial for periodontal health.

• Side Effect Of Medication: Several medications for hypertension, depression, epilepsy affect the balance of gum health and induce swelling in gums

• Bleeding Disorders: Bleeding disorders like haemophilia, Liver disease, Vit K deficiency can lead to bleeding  in the gums

• Smoking: Either in the form of smoking orc hewing tobacco  can negatively affect the health of your gums.

• Crooked Teeth: Crooked teeth do not allow for normal hygiene procedures and lead to gingivitis

• Compromised Immunity as in AIDS, Hepatitis

• Genetic Factors

Symptoms of bleeding gums:

The healthy firm gums look swollen and tender in gingivitis or gum inflammation. The symptoms are:

• Soft Puffy Gums: The toxins released from microorganisms that are harboured in gums induce gum irritation. This leads to puffiness in gums.

• Change In Colour: Gum irritation/gingivitis leads to increased flow of blood to the region that gets accumulated. This over a period of time makes the gums appear reddish/purple.

• Bleeding can be observed during normal activities like brushing, chewing, or can be spontaneous.

• Gum Recession: Gums can recede exposing part of roots of teeth. Root exposure is the chief cause for teeth sensitivity.

• Pus: There could be pus expressing from gums. This stage patient would experience mild to severe pain.

• Bad Breath: Also called Halitosis is the hallmark of gingivitis. This is because of the toxins of bacteria in gums as well as decomposed food deposits over teeth.

• Pain in teeth while chewing food, or dull prolonged pain in teeth and gums

Tips for Reducing Bleeding in Gums

Removal of cause is the chief principle of treatment.

• This includes Scaling or teeth cleaning to remove teeth deposits. Further specific instructions to maintain dental hygiene will be given to patients for long term maintenance of gum health

• Vit C supplements

• Regular gum massaging improves blood circulation and make the gums  firm and strong

• Replacement/removal of mechanical factors that irritate the gums

• Quitting smoking

• Orthodontic procedure to straighten the crooked teeth

• Changing medications that induce gum swelling

• Addressing underlying hormonal disorders

All these measures will keep a check on bleeding from gums and maintain a healthy gum and supporting bone for your beautiful 32 teeth. So please maintain your 32 pearls and enjoy healthy smile for lifetime.