Brush your bleeding gums away!

Yes, I know it is ABSOLUTELY counter-intuitive, but you sooo need to brush those parts of your gums that bleed.

When I tell my patients or friends that they need to brush their gums, their reaction usually goes along the lines of, “Must brush gums one meh?”

The answer to that question is ABSOLUTELY! YES! We must brush along our gum line with a soft tooth brush at a 45-degree angle. Otherwise, bacteria and food will accumulate along the gum line and inflammation will happen. Once inflamed, the gums will become swollen and red and may even bleed spontaneously. Its a great Halloween fix, but try that at Thanksgiving or Christmas... trust me, you might never be invited to that important dinner again.

Worst yet, if the bacteria is not brushed off or cleaned off by your dentist for the next few months or years, Periodontitis can develop. Periodontitis is a form of gum disease, more severe than gingivitis that is characterised by bone loss around a tooth, In the worst scenario, your teeth could start shaking and even fall out. No, I am really not kidding here.

However, if you brush your gums for a week and they still bleed, please go to your dentist for a check up! Bleeding gums is usually a sign of gum disease, but it could also be an indicator for high stress levels, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, poor nutrition, or get this, even pregnancy! In some rare (and I repeat RARE) cases, it could also be a sign of leukaemia.

So brush your gums, and don’t stop brushing them even when they bleed. If they bleed, it is usually not because you have traumatised them, but because they are injured and sick already. You need to massage and brush them well to get them better!