If your gums bleed when you floss or brush your teeth, don’t ignore it. Bleeding gums can be a sign of gum disease and can create a lot of problems in your mouth and your overall health. It can destroy your gums, erode your jawbone and lead to tooth loss. The longer you have inflamed gums, the more at risk you are for all kinds of systemic illness. If your gums are bleeding, a visit to the dentist is the smart thing to do. Dr. Hechtman and his experienced dental staff in Walled Lake, MI are here to help!

 

There are a number of reasons why your gums bleed. There are also some things you can do about it.

 

Poor oral hygiene. If you are not brushing and flossing daily, start now. It only takes a few days of sub-par oral hygiene for healthy gums to become diseased.

Poor diet. Your body doesn’t like a diet filled with processed foods and neither do your teeth. Eating a whole foods diet filled with fruits and vegetables boosts your immune system as well as your oral health. A healthy diet nourishes the tissues in your mouth.

Smoking. If you smoke there are thousands of reasons to stop including oral ones. Smokers are at a much higher risk fur gum disease due to the many toxins in cigarettes. It enlarges the gums and allows dangerous bacteria to live and travel from the tooth to the gum line to the bloodstream.

Too much stress. Stress causes inflammation in the blood vessels and breaks down the soft tissue in the mouth. If you are stressed, find a way to alleviate it!

Sharing germs. Gum disease is contagious so don’t share utensils, cups, and toothbrushes, especially when you have bleeding gums!

Gum disease is quite common so be aware of the signs. Bleeding gums is one of them, so don’t ignore them. Call our Walled Lake Dental Office today and get started on taking care of your teeth and keeping gum disease at bay!