Don’t take it lightly! Severe gum bleeding can cause tooth loss and may also be a sign of a serious disease!

Many people have encountered this situation: blood gets on the toothbrush when brushing teeth, blood gets on the apple when eating apples, but they "eat everything with relish", so they don't think there is anything wrong with their teeth. What's going on?

In fact, there are many people who have bleeding gums. Surveys show that more than 80% of adults have experienced bleeding gums. Among them, the detection rate for the 35-44 age group is 87.4%; the detection rate for the 55-64 age group is 88.4%; and the detection rate for the 65-74 age group is 82.6%[1]. Many people attribute bleeding gums to "getting angry", thinking that it is a small matter and that eating some vitamin C or fruits high in vitamin C, or even changing toothpaste, will solve the problem. If you think so, you are wrong.

01

What causes bleeding gums?

In fact, modern medicine does not have the concept of "getting hot". The so-called "getting hot" symptoms are usually local or systemic inflammatory reactions caused by dental plaque, tartar, etc.

Dental plaque is composed of a large number of bacteria, intercellular substances, a small amount of white blood cells, desquamated epithelial cells and food debris [2]. Each of us has a certain amount of dental plaque in our mouths, which usually does not make us uncomfortable. However, if we do not brush our teeth properly, the dental plaque will begin to spread and may even calcify into dental calculus. Excessive dental plaque and dental calculus will not only make the teeth look unclean, but also cause gingivitis or periodontitis, leading to gingival bleeding. In severe cases, it may even cause teeth to loosen and fall out.

02

What actions in life

Will it cause bleeding gums?

1. Not brushing your teeth thoroughly

Incomplete brushing is one of the reasons for the accumulation of bacteria and dental plaque in the mouth. If you do not brush your teeth carefully enough and leave food residues in your mouth, bacteria will grow on these residues. During the reproduction process, bacteria will deposit dental plaque into the gum tissue and eventually form dental calculus. This type of dental calculus is very difficult to clean because it is very hard and may cause periodontal disease over time.

2. Bad living habits

Smoking can cause great damage to teeth, mainly because the nicotine and nicotine contained in cigarettes can irritate the gums and blood vessels.

At the same time, smoking can easily cause congestion of periodontal tissues, leading to periodontitis, bleeding gums, etc.

The damage that drinking alcohol causes to teeth cannot be ignored. Alcohol can cause capillaries to dilate and contract, causing congestion in the gums.

Alcohol can also cause damage to tooth enamel and related problems such as periodontal disease.

03

How to deal with bleeding gums?

If you ignore the phenomenon of gingival bleeding, you may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes . In addition to gingivitis and periodontitis, gingival bleeding may also be a sign of certain blood diseases, such as leukemia and hemophilia [3]. When the gums bleed, some people will choose to use hemostatic drugs to stop the bleeding, and they will also use "hemostatic toothpaste". But in fact, there are many reasons why gingival bleeding cannot be stopped. If you blindly use hemostatic drugs or "hemostatic toothpaste", it may make the condition worse. Therefore, when you feel discomfort in your mouth, you should go to the hospital in time to check whether there is inflammation. If so, you must actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment.

Before seeing a doctor, we must also take preventive measures. The following tips can help us avoid further harm caused by bleeding gums:

1. Always brush your teeth: Use the correct horizontal vibration brushing method to brush your teeth at least twice a day. After each meal, be sure to rinse your mouth or use dental floss to clean the dirt and bacteria left in your mouth.

2. Don’t brush your teeth too hard: Brushing your teeth too hard may cause damage to your gums;

3. Pay attention to healthy diet: eat more foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, kiwis, citrus fruits, tomatoes, etc.;

4. Regular check-ups: Go to the hospital regularly to have your teeth “checked” and cleaned.

5. Seek medical attention promptly: If you find that your gums are bleeding seriously, it is best to go to the hospital to check the condition of your teeth. In addition, you should also seek medical treatment promptly after discovering the problem, so as to avoid the condition getting worse and affecting your normal life;

6. Adjust your mentality: Many people will be overly nervous when they encounter problems such as bleeding gums, which will also cause damage to the oral cavity. Therefore, when bleeding gums occur, you can relax appropriately.

References:

[1] 90 cases of acute gingival bleeding[J]. Gao Yating; Yuan Hongmei; Wen Ningxiao. Armed Police Medicine, 2022(05)

[2] Application of oral care based on dynamic evaluation of dental plaque index in patients with acute stroke receiving nasogastric feeding[J]. Chen Jing. Practical Clinical Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, 2022(13)

[3] The application effect of quality nursing concept in the care of oral and maxillofacial space infection[J]. Nie Xiaoli. Chinese Medical Guide, 2022(02)

[4] Xu Sangyi. Experience and experiment: the understanding and prevention of scurvy in modern Britain[J]. Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2020, 425): 59-64.

Author: Xu Lang

Reviewer: Rong Wensheng, Chief Physician, Department of Prevention, Peking University School of Stomatology