Puffy or Bleeding Gums
Puffy or bleeding gums can occur for a number of different reasons, from overzealous brushing to hormone or medication changes. The most common cause of sore, swollen gums that bleed when you brush your teeth, however, is gum disease. A progressive disease that has increasingly negative consequences to your oral and overall health the further it is allowed to advance; gum disease is a common malady that can be avoided by taking the simple preventative steps listed below.
Preventing gum disease
The simplest way to avoid gum disease and the problems it inevitably causes, including loose teeth, receding gums, and even permanent bone loss, is maintaining good oral hygiene. This means brushing twice daily using the technique recommended by your dentist (brushing gently back and forth using a soft-bristled nylon toothbrush for approximately two minutes) and flossing at least once a day. You might also consider adding a daily mouthwash to this routine. There are mouthwashes that can be found in your local drugstore that are especially made to improve and maintain the health of your gums.
Rinsing your mouth with water after meals is another preventative step that can be taken to prevent the broken-down sugars produced by lingering food particles from adhering to your teeth after eating.
Similarly, maintaining a healthy diet low in added sugars and processed foods is a good way to reduce the amount of material in the mouth that leads to the creation of plaque. This is the sticky substance that adheres to your teeth and eventually creates tartar, all of which contributes not only to the formation of cavities but also to declining gum health.
This easy daily routine – regular brushing and flossing, rinsing after meals, and maintaining a healthy diet – are all simple and low-cost means of keeping gum disease at bay.
Treating gum disease
Because gum disease progresses in stages, beginning with a reversible stage known as gingivitis before advancing to the more damaging stages of periodontitis and advanced periodontitis, the first signs and symptoms of gum disease are actually a welcome warning sign that something needs to be done to treat and protect your gums. These signs and symptoms usually include sore, swollen gums that may bleed when you brush or floss.
If you experience puffy or bleeding gums, you should make an appointment with your dentist right away for a check-up. She or he will be able to determine if you are suffering from gingivitis or a more advanced stage of gum disease and will also be able to help treat the disease so that it doesn’t progress further.
A thorough cleaning by your dental hygienist is often the first step. Using their special tools, your hygienist will be able to remove the plaque and tartar build-up that causes gum disease, thereby removing the largest contributing factor to gum disease in one simple visit.
To further treat gingivitis and reverse the beginnings of gum disease, your dentist will likely recommend the preventative steps listed above (brushing and flossing, rinsing, maintaining a healthy diet). In some cases, they might also recommend a daily antiseptic mouthwash and/or an anti-gingivitis toothpaste, both of which are routinely available at drugstores and pharmacies.
The most important thing to remember when dealing with gum disease is that it can be reversed in the early stages: you can avoid complicated and painful consequences by simply maintaining good oral hygiene, keeping up with twice-yearly dentist appointments, and listening to your body. If you find yourself noticing that your gums have become sore, swollen, or bleed easily, follow the steps explained here to reclaim your oral health and stop gum disease in its tracks.