Causes: why do gums bleed?
In most cases, bleeding gums are a clear sign of an ongoing inflammatory process (gingivitis). A symptom that should not be underestimated, given that it can evolve into a degenerative disease called periodontitis and, according to recent studies, increase cardiovascular risk.
Bleeding gums may be spies of various and less common conditions; among these, particular attention should be paid to the use of anticoagulants, such as warfarin (coumadin), acenocoumarol (sintrom) and heparin. Excessive doses of these medicines, in fact, cause spontaneous bleeding or caused by minimal trauma, such as tooth brushing; these symptoms will obviously be brought to the attention of the doctor for adjustment of the therapeutic dose. The use of aspirin also raises the risk of gingival bleeding. Hemorrhages are also associated with severe deficiencies of vitamin C (scurvy) or vitamin K, leukemia, hemophilia, poorly controlled diabetes and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Then there are conditions that facilitate bleeding, such as pregnancy, smoking, or chewing tobacco, dental malocclusions or the intake of chemical irritants; of course, too vigorous brushing of the teeth and improper use of the floss can cause gum bleeding.
Treatment
The first thing to do with gum bleeding is to bring this symptom to the dentist's attention. Once the causes of origin have been identified, he will advise the most suitable treatment. In acute inflammation you can recommend appropriate mouthwashes, or alternatively a home remedy based on hydrogen peroxide elongated with natural water, to be used for oral rinses without ingesting (alternatively you can use simple salt water). When the bleeding is rather conspicuous, it can be stopped by immersing a gauze in very cold water, and then applying it on the bleeding gum while maintaining a constant pressure for a few minutes. During subsequent brushing, particular care must be taken, above all by exploiting the sanitizing action of the less traumatic rinses. However, the use of commercial alcohol-based mouthwashes should be avoided.
Prevention
The best way to prevent the appearance of gingival bleeding is to have adequate oral hygiene, performed with a soft bristle toothbrush, flanked by toothpastes that are not aggressive and specific for bleeding gums (such as tormentilla or bloodthirsty ones). In addition to a correct brushing after each main meal, the prevention of gingivitis and its unpleasant consequences is based on the daily use of dental floss, on professional cleaning every six months and possibly on the use of oral irrigators to remove food residues between the teeth and under the gums. Finally, the optimal health of the oral cavity cannot disregard a balanced diet, which by the way by definition is low in simple sugars (these, especially those present in acidic sugary drinks and in sticky foods - such as jam, honey or gummy candies - are the most faithful allies of plaque, caries and bleeding gums).
