Table of contents:
- What causes bleeding gums when you brush your teeth?
- Who is most prone to bleeding gums when brushing?
- What should be done quickly when the gums bleed when brushing your teeth?
- How do you prevent the gums from bleeding when brushing your teeth?
- Choose a good toothbrush, so that the gums don't bleed easily
- When to go to the dentist if the gums bleed when you brush your teeth?
Most people often take it lightly when their gums bleed when brushing their teeth. Maybe just the result of rubbing too hard. Even so, bleeding gums when you brush your teeth can be a sign that something is abnormal in your mouth. Let's take a look at the full review below.
What causes bleeding gums when you brush your teeth?
If your gums bleed when you brush your teeth even though you have rubbed them lightly, this may be due to inflammation of the gums. Gingivitis, which is also known as gingivitis, can occur due to the buildup of plaque and tartar.
Plaque can form on your teeth due to the build-up of bacteria due to lazy brushing, or how you brush your teeth ineffective - for example, not all parts of your teeth are exposed to toothbrush bristles. This accumulated plaque gradually hardens to form tartar.
Tartar will cause gums that were healthy to become inflamed. The first sign of gingivitis is a reddish discoloration of the gums and bleeds easily.
Who is most prone to bleeding gums when brushing?
People who do not maintain proper oral and dental hygiene are prone to gingivitis, which causes the gums to bleed easily when they brush their teeth. Gingivitis also often occurs in people with diabetes and people who take drugs for hypertension and medications for heart disease.
In addition, bleeding gums when brushing your teeth can also be triggered by the following conditions:
- Large cavities that cause swollen gums
- Brushing your teeth too hard
- Repeated use of toothpicks that injure the gums
- The position of the teeth is messy and pile up
- Poor tooth filling
- Wearing dentures that press against the gums
Women who are pregnant, menstruating, or are taking birth control pills are also prone to bleeding gums when brushing their teeth due to changes in body hormones. Usually, this condition will stop when you are no longer undergoing these risk factors.
What should be done quickly when the gums bleed when brushing your teeth?
If only a little blood comes out, this is not a problem. The blood that comes out should not be swallowed, gargled slowly and discarded it.
Once the gums bleed, immediately stop brushing your teeth for a while and press the bleeding gums with sterile cotton. If the blood starts to subside, gargle with cold water until the bleeding stops.
How about salt water? Some experts allow you to gargle salt water, but there are also cons because if you mix it with too much salt it can actually irritate the gums that have already been injured. A safer alternative, use an antiseptic mouthwash to prevent infection from developing in the wound.
After the bleeding stops, you can continue brushing your teeth until it's finished so that the factors that cause bleeding are gone. Brush your teeth slowly in a circular motion over the entire tooth surface. Do not press too hard on the toothbrush and move the brush up and down or brush sideways.
How do you prevent the gums from bleeding when brushing your teeth?
To keep the gums healthy in the future and the bleeding doesn't recur, I recommend that you drink more water and eat vegetables and fruits that are high in calcium and vitamin C.
Don't forget to routinely use dental floss or flossing once a day to clean the plaque between the teeth. Use of dental floss or be careful not to press on the gums.
Choose a good toothbrush, so that the gums don't bleed easily
To avoid this happening again in the future, you should replace your toothbrush with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a small brush head. A manual or electric toothbrush is just as good, as long as you brush your teeth properly and the type of bristles are good. Toothbrushes should be replaced every 3 months or when the bristles are sticking out.
Brush your teeth twice a day (morning and night before going to bed) with toothpaste that contains fluoride.
When to go to the dentist if the gums bleed when you brush your teeth?
If you have taken good care of your teeth, but your gums still bleed every time you brush your teeth, you should immediately go to the dentist for a checkup. Especially if the blood comes out a lot and doesn't stop even though it's been removed when you brush your teeth.
The dentist will check the cause of the bleeding gums and will perform treatment according to the conditions, or even clean the tartar that can cause bleeding in the gums when brushing.
If the bleeding does not only occur when you brush your teeth, but is more frequent and lasts longer, it may be due to blood disorders such as hemophilia, platelet disorders, or even leukemia.
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