Bleeding gums: causes and treatments

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Extract from the article: Healthy gums are pink and do not bleed. Bleeding gums are common. It should not be neglected if it is chronic, as it can lead to or reveal periodontal disease, i.e. disease of the tissues surrounding and supporting the tooth. Repeated bleeding should

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Healthy gums are pink and do not bleed. Bleeding gums are common. It should not be neglected if it is chronic, as it can lead to or reveal periodontal disease, i.e. disease of the tissues surrounding and supporting the tooth. Repeated bleeding should lead to a visit to the dentist in order to find the cause and treat it.

Tooth bleeding, also known as gingivorrhagia, is primarily the result of gingivitis, which is a common inflammation of the gums. The gums bleed when you brush your teeth or bite into an apple, or simply when you spit out saliva in the morning, this is called spontaneous bleeding. This phenomenon is never normal.

It can be due either to a local cause, i.e. linked to the immediate environment of the tooth or the mouth, or to a general cause linked to the general state of the individual, thus revealing an underlying general disease.

In most cases, gum bleeding can be simply due to poor oral hygiene and sometimes to an iatrogenic cause through over-aggressive tooth brushing, misuse of industrial or vegetable toothbrushes or toothpastes. In the case of a local cause due to poor oral hygiene, this bleeding is often a sign of periodontal disease. The culprit? Dental plaque. Poorly removed every day, it is the cause of tartar formation. Bacteria in the plaque and tartar will cause inflammation of the gums: gingivitis.

Gingivitis

In Africa and Togo, many people do not seem to recognise the impact of periodontal disease and have little awareness of the warning signs, even though these conditions are more responsible for premature tooth loss than tooth decay. It is important to consult your dentist as soon as bleeding gums appear.

Untreated gingivitis develops into periodontitis, which can eventually lead to tooth loosening and loss without treatment.  Untreated periodontitis also increases the risk of aggravation of other general pathologies such as diabetes, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and the risk of premature delivery in pregnant women. During pregnancy, bleeding from the gums is common. The hormones of pregnancy promote inflammation of the gums or gingivitis.

Other causes of bleeding

Gum bleeding can be due to other causes, including general illnesses such as: diabetes, cancers, anaemia, vitamin C deficiency, taking certain medications can also cause gum bleeding.

What are the treatments?

The treatment of gum bleeding depends on the cause. If the bleeding is related to a general disorder, it is managed by a specialist doctor in conjunction with the dental surgeon who will place particular emphasis on local care such as regular brushing and scaling.

If the bleeding is due to a local cause, it is managed by the dentist. If the gums are bleeding due to gum inflammation, there is no question of stopping brushing to preserve the gums, as this will actually make the condition worse. On the contrary, brushing should be improved to better remove bacterial plaque. The choice of toothpaste is also important as some of them are adapted to sensitive and bleeding gums. In any case, all gingivitis requires a consultation with the dental surgeon, who will first of all be able to find the cause of the gingivitis in order to provide the appropriate treatment.  Once the cause of the gingivitis has been diagnosed, the dentist can perform supra- and subgingival scaling (curettage) or any other periodontal disease management technique to remove the accumulated bacterial plaque and calculus.

To avoid gingivitis, it is strongly recommended to follow these 3 tips: good dietary hygiene, rigorous oral hygiene with brushing of the teeth twice a day and a systematic visit to the dentist at least once a year with careful and rigorous scaling.

William O.

Article validated by Dr Georges Tokofai, President of the National Order of Dental Surgeons of Togo (ONCDT), President of the Togolese Association for Oral Health (ATSBD) & Director of the International Dental Centre of Lomé (CDIL)