{"id":857,"date":"2016-04-20T17:03:30","date_gmt":"2016-04-20T17:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/five-conditions-that-can-cause-bleeding-gums\/"},"modified":"2023-07-24T11:28:30","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T11:28:30","slug":"five-conditions-that-can-cause-bleeding-gums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/dental-blog\/five-conditions-that-can-cause-bleeding-gums\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Conditions That Can Cause Bleeding Gums"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019re trying to keep your promise to your dentist by flossing your teeth every night. When you remove the string of floss from your mouth, you notice a trace of blood. When you spit and then check your mirror, you ask yourself, why are my gums bleeding? Is this because I\u2019m flossing too hard or do I have a more serious health condition?\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlm.nih.gov\/medlineplus\/ency\/article\/003062.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">There are several reasons<\/a> you may have bleeding gums. Take a look at five common conditions.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.doctorlogic.com\/Images\/Sites\/D\/DE-SanDiego\/Post\/five-conditions-that-can-cause-bleeding-gums.jpg\" alt=\"five-conditions-that-can-cause-bleeding-gums\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlm.nih.gov\/medlineplus\/ency\/article\/003062.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Periodontal disease<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>This is a serious condition that inflames the gum tissue supporting the teeth. This causes the gums to recede and teeth may loosen and eventually fall out, which is why<strong>\u00a0it\u2019s important to get help in its earlier stages, when it\u2019s most treatable.<\/strong>\u00a0Periodontal disease is caused by the long-term effects of plaque, tartar and bacteria build-up on your teeth. Symptoms include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Red, tender or swollen gums<\/li>\n<li>Bleeding gums<\/li>\n<li>Receding gums that have pulled away from the teeth<\/li>\n<li>Loose teeth<\/li>\n<li>Change in the way your dentures fit<\/li>\n<li>Consistent bad breath<\/li>\n<li>A persistent bad taste in your mouth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The good news is that periodontal disease is treatable. Your dentist can perform a deep cleaning, where plaque and bacteria are removed from beneath the gum line. As a result, the ligaments holding your teeth in place strengthen, preventing tooth loss. The American Dental Association has a wealth of information, including educational videos, on gum disease at their\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mouthhealthy.org\/en\/az-topics\/g\/gum-disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Brushing too hard<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes the simplest explanation is the answer.\u00a0<strong>Heavy-handed brushing or flossing can cause bleeding gums.<\/strong>\u00a0Be sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush.<\/p>\n<h2>Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura<\/h2>\n<p>Wow! That\u2019s a mouthful.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/idiopathic-thrombocytopenic-purpura\/basics\/definition\/con-20034239\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This disorder<\/a>\u00a0causes excessive bleeding and bruising due to low levels of platelets. Platelets are cells that help your blood form clots. This disease can affect children and adults, and while children can fully recover without treatment, for most adults, it\u2019s a chronic condition. Treatment varies, but it starts with a thorough evaluation of symptoms and a platelet count. Depending upon the test results, medication or surgery may be needed.<\/p>\n<h2>Hormonal conditions<\/h2>\n<p>When your hormones fluctuate, your gums are more susceptible to bleeding. Women are particularly vulnerable. During puberty, the increase in sex hormones causes an increase in gum sensitivity due to increased blood circulation. Women who are pregnant or menopausal may also have gums that bleed more often than normal. Some women even experience menstruation gingivitis. Gingivitis is a type of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/services\/periodontal-dentistry\/laser-gum-treatment-san-diego-ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gum disease laser treatment<\/a>. This type of gingivitis starts before a woman\u2019s period and clears up when it ends.<\/p>\n<h2>Leukemia<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/types\/leukemia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leukemia<\/a>\u00a0is cancer of the blood cells and affects both children and adults. Normally, your body\u2019s white blood cells efficiently fight disease, but in leukemia, the bone marrow produces white blood cells that don\u2019t work. There are several different types of leukemia, and treatment must be tailored accordingly. There are several other causes for bleeding gums, including blood thinners and vitamin deficiencies.\u00a0<strong>If you experience bleeding gums, let your dentist know.<\/strong>\u00a0Depending upon your other symptoms, he or she may wish to refer you to another physician for blood tests and further evaluation.\u00a0<em>Dental Express offers dental care for the entire family, including\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/services\/orthodontic-options\/clearcorrect-san-diego-ca\">SmileCorrect<\/a>, implants, emergency dental care and maintenance services. Our practice features compassionate care coupled with state-of-the-art dentistry at four convenient locations in San Diego:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/dental-express-downtown\">Downtown<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/dental-express-point-loma\">Point Loma<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/dental-express-clairemont\">Clairemont<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/dental-express-santee\">Santee<\/a>. Contact us to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/schedule-online\">schedule an appointment<\/a>\u00a0today.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019re trying to keep your promise to your dentist by flossing your teeth every night. When you remove the string of floss from your mouth, you notice a trace of blood. When you spit and then check your mirror, you ask yourself, why are my gums bleeding? Is this because I\u2019m flossing too hard or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=857"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4928,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857\/revisions\/4928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}