Written By Jennifer Raskin / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

When you focus on making your smile look whiter and brighter, do you ever notice your gums are bleeding? Bleeding gums can be a red flag that gum disease is around, though it’s not the only reason you may see red. Still, knowing what’s happening with your bleeding gums can help you resolve periodontal disease if you have it so you can prevent tooth loss and heart disease.

Reasons Why Gums Bleed

Gums will bleed when there is a build-up of plaque along the gum line. This can happen even if you take good care of your teeth. If your gums also feel tender when they bleed, you’ll want to talk to your dentist about your concerns and schedule an appointment for a cleaning soon.

But if you’re on medications like blood thinners, this can also leave your gums bleeding when you’re brushing or flossing. Dry mouth is another issue that leads to bleeding gums. Many medications may cause this side effect, though if you’re not hydrated enough, it could cause dry mouth too.

Women with fluctuating hormones during pregnancy or near and during menopause also experience more light bleeding of the gums. It’s very important to keep up your dental hygiene during these hormonal changes and keep your dental appointments.

Additionally, even the wrong toothbrush could be the cause of bleeding gums. You want to choose one with soft bristles. This will help you effectively brush without making your gums bleed.

What You Can Do to Stop Bleeding Gums

The best thing you can do is improve your oral hygiene so your gums stop bleeding. You can also try the following tips to avoid seeing red or pink when you spit out your toothpaste during each brushing:

- Use a soft toothbrush, brushing in a circular motion. Better yet, choose an electric toothbrush with a soft-bristled head.

- Make sure you’re flossing beyond that gum line, not just along it.

- Use mouthwash, one without alcohol that can kill off the bacteria lurking in your mouth.

- If you smoke, stop! It can make bleeding gums worse.

- Balance your diet with healthy foods, especially those with vitamin C and calcium.

- Keep to your regular dental appointments twice per year. Your dentist may recommend a deep cleaning scaling and root planing procedure to help get things under control.

The worst thing you can do is ignore bleeding gums. Generally, if they bleed very rarely, it might just be how your brushing. It could be your medications or hormones causing it too, though the only way to know for sure is to work with your dentist to have a healthy smile.

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral care, skincare, body care and foot care. If you are looking for more health resources check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Jennifer Raskin is a freelance writer, wife and mom that loves cold weather despite her location in Florida, cooking, reading, watching ‘80s movies, weight-lifting, and wine tasting.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Caroline LM on Unsplash