bleeding gums

[louise0501]

hey again, another thing i'm really freaking out about is that everytime i brush my teeth my gums bleed, i have been getting this for years. the last time i went to the dentist was about 4/5 years ago, i saw the hygenist and she gave my teeth a good clean and gave me some tips on keeping my teeth healthy and didn't seem to concerned about the bleeding. do i have gum disease? am i gonna lose my teeth? i'm really freaking out, i have left it to long. i'm gonna die aren't from this aren't i.
Please reply
Luv Louise x

[shoegal]

I have the same problem. Do you want to talk in the chat room?

You won't die from it hun. I know it's a bit yucky to have bleeding gums, but as long as you clean your teeth properly, use dental floss and use a good mouthwash there isn't much you can do about it. I told my dentist that my gums always bleed when I clean my teeth and he wasn't a bit worried about it and told me to keep brushing and flossing and to ignore it.

Hope this helps a bit xxx

[louise0501]

yes id love to chat in the chat room, i can't sleep so i would really appreciate it.

[shoegal]

I hope I managed to reassure you a bit hun xxx

[Mich1111]

Mine do this to. On my last check up the dentist commented on how easily they bleed. He said normally he would be worried but i have no infections and my gums/teeth are really healthy so not to worry.

[nomorepanic]

I get this too. My gums are a bit sore at the moment.

I would recommend going to the dentist though Louise to get it looked at - may save you hassle in a few years if you need fillings etc.

[tim73]

Bleeding gums is nothing to be worried about in terms of general health, and you're not going to die. In dental terms it's a sign of gum disease.

It's very common (most people have some form of gum disease), and generally a long term thing. If you don't regularly go to a dentist you can expect problems later in life, potentially losing teeth. Gum disease doesn't mean you've got anything wrong with the teeth themselves, just the bits that hold the teeth in.

Gum disease can be inflamed gums which bleed and you can also get periodontitis, which what I've got, which is where pockets open up under the gums which can trap plaque and that can eventually eat away at the bone structure, hence how the teeth can fall out.

Simple to treat but can mean going to the hygienist regularly to basically clean your teeth properly. It's not that you aren't cleaning them well yourself, just that there are places that are hard to clean, especially if you've developed the pockets.

Other than that, as the dentists always rant on about, plenty of flossing and cleaning :D. I know we don't do it as much as we should, but if you do it regularly the bleeding should reduce and maybe stop. Initially flossing will cause bleeding, and that's normal.

My advice would be to go see a dentist. If you can afford it, don't turn down going private if you can't get an NHS dentist. In my case I found a place that does both NHS and private. I picked private to get better options of appointments, but the treatments are almost identical.

Getting a decent dentist can be tricky though. I looked for a dentist that had a friendly looking web site and found a nice family run practice.

P.S. Worth getting a rechargeable powered toothbrush as these are highly recommended. Floss, or similar. And Listerine helps too.

[honeybee3939]

Hi Louise

Some good advice given from the other members.:yesyes:

My eldests daughter as had this problem in the past and after a visit to the dentist and a good hygene clean on her teeth she has had no more problems. Her dentist also recommended to use Corsodyl mouthwash to help prevent future problems.

You can get it from all chemists and most supermarkets.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100003692.html

Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxx

[tiredOfOcd]

You aren't going to die and you aren't going to lose your teeth either. But, if you want to spare yourself some dental problems, its a good idea to get the bleeding gums under control.

Tell your dentist. They'll probably have you start flossing your teeth every day. This will help control the bacteria causing the problem.

Don't worry that there are bacteria in your mouth. Everyone has them. The mouth is dark, warm and moist which is paradise for bacteria. The gums are the most dark, warm and moist places in the mouth AND food the bacteria can eat gets pushed into the dark, warm, moist places in the gums.

Flossing dislodges the food in your gums and acts as a slight irritant. That causes your body to send healing agents to your gums. One of the things the healing agents do is kill bacteria.

[Mudskipper]

As well as all the other suggestions, you can get tiny little brushes which you can use in between the teeth along the gum line. They clear out food debris very effectively and stimulate the gums. Mine have improved a lot since I've been using them.