We all know that maintaining our dental health is just as important as looking after our physical and mental health. Good oral hygiene is pivotal to ensuring that your teeth and gums are in great condition throughout your life. So, when you encounter issues with your oral hygiene, it’s only natural that you would want to know what might be causing it.
If you have recently noticed that your gums are bleeding after you brush your teeth, it’s important that you understand why this is happening and how you can fix it. Take a look here at what causes your gums to bleed after you have brushed your teeth.
What Can Cause Your Gums To Bleed After Brushing Your Teeth?
There are several reasons why your gums might be bleeding, including:
- Gingivitis: Gingivitis is a common but mild form of gum disease that causes inflammation, redness and irritation in the gum line that surrounds the base of your teeth. Generally caused by poor oral health, gingivitis can lead to more serious oral health issues such as periodontal disease and tooth loss, which is much more complicated to treat. Symptoms of gingivitis include bleeding, swollen, puffy or sore gums, and bad breath.
- Vitamin deficiencies: Vitamin deficiencies such as Vitamin C deficiency can cause your gums to bleed when brushing. This is due to the fact that when you aren’t getting enough Vitamin C, your gums can become weaker, and the blood vessels inside bleed more easily. This can easily be remedied by increasing your intake of Vitamin C rich food such as red capsicums, oranges, strawberries and carrots to help boost your Vitamin C levels.
- Plaque build-up: When plaque builds up on your teeth, the bacteria inside can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. When left on your teeth and not removed, it also causes your gums to become inflamed, which can cause bleeding, especially after brushing.
- Periodontitis: Periodontitis (gum disease) is one of the most common causes of bleeding gums. It’s a serious condition that is much harder to treat than gingivitis and is associated with bone loss, receding gums, bleeding gums, tooth loss and generally poor oral health.
What Can You Do To Prevent Your Gums From Bleeding After Brushing?
Good oral hygiene is key to helping to prevent bleeding gums and other oral health issues. Ensuring that you are brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing regularly and visiting a dentist on a regular basis for professional cleaning and upkeep is going to help ensure that your teeth and gums stay in great condition. Regular six-monthly check-ups will help diagnose and prevent any minor oral health issues before they escalate further.
What Should You Do If Your Gums Are Bleeding?
If you have noticed that your gums have started to bleed after brushing your teeth, it’s time to book an appointment with your dentist. They will be able to comprehensively assess your oral health and ascertain what is causing the bleeding. If you have build-up of plaque and calculus around your teeth and gums, they may also clean and debride your teeth to help prevent further issues and provide you with an action plan moving forward to help treat the underlying problem that’s causing your gums to bleed.
Book Your Appointment Today
If you are experiencing bleeding gums after brushing, due for a six-monthly check-up or have other dental issues that you want to be assessed and treated, get in touch with our expert Burleigh Dental Studio team today. We’re here to help you achieve your best smile.
Article by Dr Anthony Hua – Principal Dentist
Dr Anthony Hua is the Founder & Principal Dentist at Burleigh Dental Studio. His passion, expertise and dedication to the field of dentistry have been recognised by his achievement of Fellowship status with the Australian Society of Implant Dentistry (ASID) and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI).
