Bleeding Gums Can Warn of Gum Desease
| September 2, 2008The tools of the trade are focused on the teeth such as the toothbrush and the toothpaste, but the gorilla in the room may not be tooth decay but Gum Desease instead. The teeth are very important to chewing your food and preventing tooth decay is critical to keeping your teeth healthy. The gums are the holders of the teeth and if they go bad the teeth will fall out and replacing them will be very difficult.
The most common reason for bleeding gums is the Gum Desease gingivitis. The gums become irritated by a bacterial infection and swell a significant amount. They may be tender to the touch and have some light bleeding when flossing or brushing actively. Gingivitis is normally seen for a few days at most so the best action is to continue to brush and floss often to clean out the problem.
It turns out that plaque is a great breeding ground for the bacteria of Gum Desease fame. The bacteria are in the mouth anyway, but given this excellent growth material, they grow too much and too fast. They also end to gather in one spot.
Gingivitis is not a painful Gum Desease and can be cured usually be a good cleaning either at home or by the dentist. Mouthwash can fight the growth of the bacteria associated with the disease with alcohol or other antibiotic type ingredients. The daily rinsing of a mouth with these agents can reduce the bacteria growth to normal levels in a few days. If the action is combined with flossing the effects are very rapid.
Gingivitis is a minor Gum Desease in most cases but can be a warning sign of bad health habits and can lead to more advanced diseases. One of the more destructive diseases that can start with gingivitis is periodontitis. While gingivitis is relatively calm and painless, periodontitis is not either.
There are other Gum Desease problems that can be seen first as bleeding gums. It is possible for a virus such as herpes to get inside the mouth and cause bleeding. The disease will form small sores on the gums in various areas of the mouth and seriously irritate the tissue. The bleeding will not stop until the virus is destroyed.
Mouthwash is useful against Gum Desease by helping to control the growth of bacteria. Mouthwash is often created to fight bad breath and thus likes to eliminate bacteria in general from the mouth. Alcohol or other antiseptic agents are often used.
Leukemia is not really related to Gum Desease at all, but causes serious problems in the blood of the patient. The blood has reduced abilities to thicken and clot if the body has leukemia present. Bleeding gums are one possible clue to the underlying disease. There are several tests to track down the actual cause of bleeding gums, but many doctors will stop at gum problems first before thinking in other directions.






