Why Do My Gums Bleed After Brushing?

Any bleeding from some part of your body should be a cause of concern. People usually place gauze or a Band-Aid on the bleeding part of the body. However, it is more difficult to identify the cause of bleeding in your gums. 

Do your gums bleed when you brush or floss your teeth? Gum bleeding is quite common. In many cases, it is not a serious problem. You may notice some bleeding after brushing your teeth if you have sensitive gums or use the wrong brushing or flossing technique. Gum bleeding can also be a symptom of an underlying health condition that you need to address. 

Is It Normal?

You will experience some anxiety when you notice blood after brushing or flossing your teeth. One thing you need to understand is that a little bleeding is not necessarily a sign of a serious problem. Gum bleeding after brushing or flossing your teeth may be due to various reasons. Furthermore, you can take certain steps to prevent or treat this problem. 

What Can Cause It?

Gums bleed due to several reasons. Some of these reasons, such as gum disease, are quite serious and require treatment as soon as possible. However, others are less serious. Sometimes, you only need to make simple changes to your brushing and flossing techniques to stop the bleeding. Some of the most common reasons why gums bleed after brushing include:

Gingivitis

This is the first stage of gum disease. Some of the symptoms of gingivitis include swollen and tender gums. Sometimes, gums may bleed after brushing or flossing your teeth. You develop this condition when you fail to remove plaque along your gumline. 

Plaque offers a good breeding ground for bacteria that can cause gum sensitivity and bleeding. Fortunately, you can stop and even reverse gingivitis before it develops into the advanced stage of gum disease known as periodontitis. With proper oral care practices, you can prevent or stop bleeding caused by gingivitis.

New Toothbrush or Flossing Routine

When you purchase and use a new type of toothbrush, you may experience some gum bleeding. This is especially the case if you switched to a hard-bristled toothbrush from a soft-bristled one. Bleeding is your gums’ way of asking you to take it easy. 

Also, if your gums start bleeding after flossing for the first time, your flossing routine could be the cause. For example, maybe you failed to floss for several days and then increased your rate of flossing per week. Doing so might cause gum bleeding. 

Medications

Some blood-thinning medications can cause gum bleeding since they can decrease your blood’s ability to clot. Thus, you need to let your dentist know about any new medications you are taking. This will help him or she identify and treat any oral health issues. 

Other Reasons Why Gums Bleed After Brushing

• Poor oral hygiene habits.
   

• Increased hormones during pregnancy cause more blood to flow to the gums.
   

• A misaligned bite.
   

• Stress.
   

• Poor diet.
   

• Smoking.
   

These are just a few causes of gum bleeding. But as with anything related to your health, nothing can substitute for regular checkups by a medical professional. Hence, you need to go for routine dental checkups to help your dentist screen for various oral health problems.

To learn more about bleeding gums, visit Today’s Family Dental at our office in Tampa or Lutz, Florida. You can call (813) 370-1700 or (813) 212-8700 today to schedule an appointment.