Why Do My Gums Bleed When I Brush?
Do your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or eat apples? If so, there's a chance that you have gum disease, which affects as much as half of all Americans above 30 years old. When left untreated, gum disease can lead to bad breath, bleeding gums, and even tooth loss. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to prevent and treat your bleeding gums, which won't even require surgery.
Does bleeding when I brush always mean gum disease?
Not always, but it is the most common reason and it is the one worth ruling out. Gum disease is hard to detect, and there are even cases where patients don't experience any symptoms at all. That is why gums get measured at a checkup rather than only when something hurts.
What toothpaste should I use for bleeding gums?
Toothpaste helps, and it is not the treatment. Once hardened deposits are below the gumline, no toothpaste reaches them; that takes a cleaning. What toothpaste does well is hold the ground after treatment, which is why we talk about it at the recall visit rather than instead of one.
What is a regular cleaning, and when do I need more than one?
Regular dental cleaning is a must to prevent the buildup of hard and soft bacterial deposits, which can lead to swollen and bleeding gums and eventually gum disease. The procedure involves removing plaque and stains from the teeth with gentle hand scaling and polishing. For removal of harder deposits, sometimes high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations are used to dislodge plaque.
What is scaling and root planing?
In dealing with more advanced gum disease, we use non-surgical gum therapy, methods like scaling and root planing. This involves cleaning below the gum line to remove deep hardened deposits that may be harboring bacteria. Once the deposits are removed, a hand scaling technique smooths the roots of your teeth to allow the gums to grow back and reattach.
Do I need to see a periodontist for this?
Not for non-surgical treatment. Dr. Lambert is a general dentist, and the deep cleaning is carried out here by our own hygienist with him doing the examination and the diagnosis. He handles virtually all phases of your dentistry under one roof without seeing a specialist.
