Are Your Gums Bleeding when You Brush and Floss?

How to Prevent Bleeding Gums

Dealing with bleeding gums is one of the more unpleasant dental experiences. More often than not, bleeding gums during brushing or flossing, or both, is due to a lack of proper dental hygiene. If you are suffering with bleeding gums or general gum discomfort, it is important to make an appointment with your dentist – while this may only be a small problem for the moment, it can turn into a much bigger issue if left untreated. Here are some things that may be causing your gum issues.

Brushing Too Hard

Many individuals are very heavy handed when it comes to cleaning their teeth. They often believe that pressing harder with the toothbrush means they are getting a better clean. Do the bristles of your toothbrush often look “squished” or frayed out to the edges? This is a sign that you are brushing too hard. You do not need to dig into your teeth and gums to get them clean! If you are having problems controlling the amount of pressure you use, consider using your non-dominate hand to brush.

Brushing Incorrectly

If you are brushing your teeth in a back-and-forth motion, you are not brushing in the correct way and it could be irritating your gums. The best motion to use when brushing is a small, circular motion that massages the gums instead of scraping them. You will get the same amount of cleaning power using this motion as opposed to using the back-and-forth motion.

Using the Wrong Type of Toothbrush

If you haven’t noticed, there are a number of different types of bristles that are available on both manual and electric toothbrushes. Most individuals should be using a soft bristled brush. If you brush seems rough on your teeth and gums, you may need to switch to a softer one. Often, hard bristles may be the cause of irritated or bleeding gums, so making the switch can help to easily calm your discomfort.

Not Cleaning Your Teeth Enough

If it has been a while since you brushed or flossed, it could take up to a week for your gums to get used to being scrubbed again. If your gums continue to bleed with regular cleanings past a week, it is in your best interest to schedule an appointment with your dentist. If this is not the cause of gum bleeding or discomfort, than there may be an underlying issue that is more serious and should be addressed.

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*Photo Courtesy of bark via Creative Commons License