Many of us have had that brief moment of panic when you checked your mouth or teeth in the mirror and noticed a little bit of blood coming from your gums. Bleeding from the gums isn't uncommon, and it can be caused by many different things, from over-brushing your teeth to an injection at the orthodontist's office.
In many cases, there isn't much blood seen when the gums are bleeding, and the problem should go away quickly. However, there are times when you may notice a lot more blood coming from the gums, frequent bleeding, or prolonged bleeding. What issues might be behind these issues? Read on to find out.
Periodontitis
Periodontitis is commonly referred to as gum disease. This is one of the main causes of bleeding gums. Periodontitis doesn't develop at once. It takes a long period of poor oral health to get to the point where an individual has gum disease. The problem starts when plaque isn't properly removed. When plaque isn't removed for an extended period, it can cause your gums to separate from your teeth.
The gums will then recede from the teeth, and the spaces between the gums and teeth can trap different kinds of bacteria which can attack the bone and the gums. When the plaque hardens to form tartar, gum disease is said to have set in.
Poor Nutrition
Although it's not common in modern times, there are still some people who experience excessive gum bleeding due to poor nutrition. The lack of vitamins C and K are among the possible causes of excessive bleeding that are diet-related. People with scurvy may also experience heavy gum bleeding.
Medication
If you've only started experiencing excessive gum bleeding recently and you also started new medication at around the same time, the medication could be the reason. There are certain types of medication that increase the likelihood of experiencing excessive bleeding. Blood thinners, for instance, make your blood less likely to clot. Therefore, even a tiny cut may bleed excessively.
Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood, and one of its many side effects is that it can lower the platelet count in your blood. Platelets help to stop bleeding, and if your blood has a low platelet count, excessive bleeding is possible.
Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a condition that prevents your blood from clotting properly. This can cause heavy bleeding from the slightest cut or injection. Let your dentist know if you have this condition.
While some of these conditions may cause you concern, there are many reasons for gum bleeding that are perfectly easy to fix. The best place to start is by scheduling an appointment with your dentist so that they can check out the reason for your issue.
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