Bleeding Gums is a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.


What is Bleeding Gums ?



Bleeding from gums may occur while brushing or sometimes it occurs on its own (spontaneously). If you often see a pink tinge in the sink after brushing teeth, you have bleeding gums. It may be a sign of inflammation of gums. Inflamed gums appear red and swollen while healthy gums are light pink in colour.

Most common cause of bleeding gums is accumulation of plaque on the teeth. If this plaque is not removed by regular brushing and flossing between teeth, it hardens up and turn into tartar or calculus which cannot be cleaned by regular brushing. Calculus can only be removed by professional dental cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist. If not cleaned, over the time, it will lead to inflamed gums and increased bleeding from gums which is the main sign of gingivitis.

If ignored and not taken proper care of oral hygiene, it may advance to gingivitis which may progress to periodontitis (disease of gums and surrounding tissue and bone). Bleeding gums may also be a sign of a serious medical condition such as diabetes, HIV, immunosuppressive diseases, etc.




Bleeding Gums Causes



There are many possible causes of bleeding from gums such as:

  • Brushing too hard (forcefully)
  • Using a hard toothbrush
  • Lack of cleaning between teeth (flossing) leading to food accumulation and plaque formation
  • Gingivitis
  • Periodontitis
  • Hormonal changes in during puberty and pregnancy

Other causes that can exacerbate gingival bleeding may include diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, use of blood thinners (e.g. aspirin) and anticoagulants such as warfarin and heparin, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, hormonal imbalances, blood cancers (leukaemia), iron overload

Some less common causes are:

  • Vitamin C deficiency (scurvy)
  • Vitamin K deficiency
  • Dengue fever



Bleeding Gums Diagnosis

If your gums bleed regularly, go for a dental checkup to get examined for oral hygiene status. Examination by dentist should be done to rule out the issues such as malnutrition, puberty and pregnancy.

Additional diagnostic tests to certain possible diseases may also be required. This includes test for diabetes mellitus, X-rays for teeth and jaw bones, blood tests etc.

  • Prolonged vaginal bleeding
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