Bleeding gums are often an indication of gum disease, which can cause severe problems if left untreated.
It’s important to understand what your bleeding gums may be trying to tell you about your oral health and how to take steps to maintain healthy gums and teeth.
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is a common condition that affects the soft tissues of the mouth, including the gums, tongue, and cheeks. It is caused by bacteria in plaque, which is a sticky film that forms on teeth. When plaque is not removed, it hardens into tartar, which can lead to inflammation and infection in the gums.
There are two stages of gum disease:
Gingivitis
This is the early stage of gum disease, characterised by red, swollen, and bleeding gums. At this stage, the damage can be reversed with proper oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist.
Periodontitis
If gingivitis is left untreated, it can progress to periodontitis. This is a more advanced stage of gum disease, where the infection has spread to the supporting tissues and bones around the teeth. In severe cases, periodontitis can lead to tooth loss.
What Causes Gum Disease?
The most common cause of gum disease is poor oral hygiene. When plaque is not removed, it can harden into tartar, which cannot be removed by brushing and flossing alone.
Other factors that can contribute to gum disease include:
- Smoking or using other tobacco products
- Genetics
- Hormonal changes, such as those during pregnancy or menopause
- Certain medications, such as anti-depressants and anti-epileptics
- Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease
What are the Symptoms of Gum Disease?
The symptoms of gum disease can vary depending on the stage of the condition.
In the early stages, symptoms may include:
- Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
- Bad breath
- Receding gums
- Tooth Sensitivity
- In more advanced stages, symptoms may include:
- Loose teeth
- Changes in the bite or the way teeth fit together
- Pus or discharge from the gums
- Painful chewing
- If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to visit a periodontist or dentist as soon as possible.
Why is Gum Health Important?
Maintaining healthy gums is important not just for your oral health, but also for your overall health. Studies have shown that there is a link between gum disease and other health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
In addition to reducing your risk of other health problems, maintaining healthy gums can also help you avoid more costly and invasive dental procedures down the road.
How to Maintain Healthy Gums
Maintaining healthy gums starts with proper oral hygiene. This includes brushing your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing at least once daily, and using an antiseptic mouthwash.
In addition to these basic habits, there are a few other things you can do to promote gum health:
- Quit smoking or using tobacco products
- Limit your consumption of sugary and acidic foods and drinks
- Visit a periodontist or dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings
- Consider using an electric toothbrush, which can be more effective at removing plaque than a manual toothbrush
Apply Routine Check
Bleeding gums may be a sign of gum disease, which can lead to serious oral health problems if left untreated. By understanding the symptoms of gum disease, its causes, and how to maintain healthy gums, you can take steps to protect your oral and overall health. Remember to visit your specialist periodontist here at RW Perio or dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings, and to practice daily dental hygiene at home.
Our gum specialists at RW Perio focus on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases and are committed to ensuring that you are comfortable throughout your treatment.
If you have been diagnosed with periodontitis, then treatment will usually begin with non-surgical periodontal treatment. This usually involves debridement into the gum pockets and carefully cleaning the root surfaces to remove bacterial toxins.
This is followed by oral therapy to help control microbial periodontal infections. The aim of non-surgical periodontal treatment is to reduce the depth of the pockets and increase the ability to maintain good oral hygiene. Treatment will only work with good home care, so an important part of this treatment is for RW Perio to give you tailored oral hygiene instructions.
What It Involves
Non-surgical Periodontal treatment is usually the initial phase of treatment recommended for patients diagnosed with periodontitis or periodontal disease. This treatment aims to reduce the depth of the pockets and increase the ability to maintain good oral hygiene in this area. The first and most important element of this phase is optimal home care. For long-term stability, an optimal oral hygiene regime is usually recommended.
Our company spends a significant amount of time providing you with tailored oral hygiene instructions, to ensure you are comfortable performing this regime yourself. We’ll monitor your compliance throughout the treatment and also put you on reassessment. Advice will be given if there are other concerns related to your gum health such as bad breath.
Through root surface debridement, the build-up under the gum line and the bacteria within the pockets are removed and disinfected. To ensure you are comfortable, this is usually carried out under local anaesthetic, using The Wand system. You may be required to come in for several treatment appointments if you have generalised pockets. By this, each quarter or half of the month will be the best time for appointments.
Treatment
Periodontal therapy improves your ability to perform effective home care and oral hygiene. This allows for long-term maintenance of the results. The procedure removes any stains you may have. There is a reduction and/or elimination of bleeding gums. Reduces and/or eliminates bad breadth. There’s a reduction in the depth/closure of the periodontal pockets. The mobility of any loose teeth is reduced to a minimum.
The lifespan of the teeth is greatly increased. If there’s pain following the procedure (which is to be expected), it can be managed with over-the-counter painkillers. This usually lasts for a few days. You should expect a temporary increase in bleeding from the gums. There’s increased sensitivity, especially to cold. It’s usually short-lasting and can be managed with toothpaste designed to reduce sensitivity.
Your teeth may look slightly longer, and the spaces between them may become larger than usual. This is a result of the gums receding as they heal. With innovative techniques, RW Perio has made great strides in the non-surgical treatment of periodontal problems.
With the following techniques, we perform the best non-surgical periodontal treatment on our clients simply and affordably.
Specialist Debridement
The fundamental non-surgical periodontal treatment for gum diseases is the method of debridement. This helps to clean the surface and below the gum lines of the affected area. To effectively allow the gums and surrounding bones to heal properly, the best approach is specialist debridement. Local anaesthetics are used to effectively numb the area for greater comfort while cleaning the surface. Scaling involves removing the tartar or hardened plaque above and below the gum line. The specialist usually schedules for the patient to visit after 8 weeks, and if the procedure improves gum disease, periodic maintenance can be scheduled to take place within 3-4 months after the first treatment. Moreover, the majority of patients are required to undergo maintenance therapy to sustain periodontal health.
Systemic Antimicrobials
To help treat periodontal disease in some patients, systemic antibiotics may be prescribed. This is usually taken orally as medication and normally used to help treat periodontal disease but only when combined with conventional non-surgical therapy. Your dentist will help determine if this treatment approach will help alleviate your condition.
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