7 Reasons Why You Have Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums often occur during your pregnancy. Sore or tender gums during pregnancy can cause bleeding when you brush your teeth. This is called pregnancy gingivitis and is very common. However, you must get it treated by a dentist to ensure that there is no gum disease. Gum disease if left untreated leads to periodontal disease. This in turn may result in preterm labour. Remember to tell your dentist that you are pregnant so that he can avoid x-rays if they are not safe. Local anesthesia used for dentistry is safe throughout pregnancy. You can also choose from pregnancy safe antibiotics if needed. Bleeding gums are often colloquially called a "pink tooth brush".

Causes

There are a number of causes for pregnancy gingivitis. One main reason is that the blood volume in your body almost doubles during your pregnancy. This increased blood volume provides the baby with the essential nutrients for his growth and development. However, this increase also triggers swelling in your gums and they become very tender. This may also lead to bleeding and cause pregnancy gingivitis.

Another reason for pregnancy gingivitis is the hormonal fluctuation in your body. The increase in progesterone level make your gums and teeth susceptible to the bacteria present in plaque.

A third contributing factor to gingivitis is morning sickness. You may not be able to tolerate the toothpaste smell or taste when you brush your teeth. This may trigger vomiting. This results in poor oral hygiene.

Symptoms

Some symptoms that you may be prone to pregnancy gingivitis are:

• Your gums appear tender and swollen.
• Your gums are red or purple-red in colour.
• Your gums start bleeding after brushing.
• You have a tooth ache.
• You have a bad breath often.
• You have mouth sores.
• You can feel lumps in your mouth even if they are not painful.

Prevention

You can adopt quite a few techniques to prevent pregnancy gingivitis. Some of them are:

• Brush your teeth twice daily.
• Use a tooth brush with soft bristles.
• Use toothpastes that contain fluoride.
• Use antibacterial mouthwashes such as Listerine to remove foul breath and plaque.
• Avoid eating food with high amounts of refined sugar.
• Maintain a healthy diet.
• Maintain periodic appointments with your dentist.

Treatment

If you are already a victim of gingivitis, you can request your doctor to clean your teeth. He will remove the excess plaque from your gums and teeth. Sometimes, he may also have to clean the roots of your teeth.