No, you’re not a vampire - many people experience bleeding in their mouth at some point in their life. When you see blood on your toothbrush, your gums are the likely culprit.
There are a range of different reasons why your gums might bleed, including little bumps. However, if you’re sure you haven’t banged into anything, it may actually be cause to take note.
Here’s smilogy to help you understand what it could mean.
Why Are My Gums Bleeding?
Usually when your gums bleed it’s because you’re not quite getting your oral hygiene routine right.
Blood is often a sign of the building up of plaque, which if left untreated, can progress and cause gum disease.
To find out why you’re going through this personally, it’s always best to seek out a professional opinion.
What Can I Do About It?
Most people can fix the issue of plaque build-up - and therefore bleeding - at home.
Make changes to your dental regime, ensuring that you’re meticulously brushing for two minutes, twice per day (no slacking). It’s also essential to floss at least daily, as recommended by dentists everywhere (including at smilogy), and by the Australian Dental Association (ADA).
For immediate relief, you can apply direct pressure with a clean washcloth to the affected area (without going too hard), or simply rinse out your mouth with water.
Visit smilogy
You might feel like you’re getting everything right, but you’re still experiencing some bleeding. This is common, and may be easy to correct.
Some people are using the wrong kind of toothbrush, or flossing too hard. It’s tempting to scrub using a lot of pressure, but you could damage your tooth-protecting enamel.
While it depends on the individual, we usually suggest for most people a softer brush. At your appointment with one of our Australian dentists, we can give you the advice that’s most suitable to you. We’ll also go over technique, if you need us to.
The most important reason to visit your dentist is to check there’s nothing more serious going on. Plaque left to linger can easily harden into tartar, causing bad breath, gum disease and eventually those bleeding gums. We can establish if you have gingivitis or periodontitis, and start appropriate treatment. Easy as!
Book An Appointment
Your smile health is super important to us! We know that bleeding gums can turn into a bloody nightmare, which is why we’re here to help (with no judgements).
To book your next check-up with smilogy, call us on 02 8005 4434 or get in touch.