Brushing alone won’t give you a perfect, healthy smile free of dental conditions. You must floss at least once a day. Flossing does what toothbrushes can’t: reach the tiny spaces in between teeth and remove food particles/plaque. This, in turn, prevents cavities and other dental conditions like gum disease. You’ll also be able to maintain fresh breath while at it.
However, flossing can come with concerns like bleeding gums. If you notice a hint of blood on your dental floss, there are instances where you should be alarmed. This blog will give you answers to common questions surrounding flossing and bleeding gums.
Let’s uncover reasons behind this commonly misunderstood issue, debunk myths, and provide you with accurate, actionable information. Let’s start at the beginning.
Is Flossing Bad for You?
Flossing can be counterproductive if you don’t learn the right technique. The same applies when you don’t floss enough times. If you floss properly, meaning gently and at least once a day, flossing should be incredibly beneficial.
Why Are My Gums Swollen After Flossing?
Short answer: You are flossing too much. If your gums swell every time you floss, you may be overdoing it. If you floss multiple times daily, you can easily hurt your gums and cause repeated swelling.
Or you could also not be flossing enough and underdoing it, which would be flossing once every 2 to 7 days. This gives room for inflammation of gums, which is depicted as swelling among other symptoms like bleeding and redness.1
However, if you floss as you should (gently and often as recommended) and still experience swelling, book a dental appointment.
Why Do My Gums Bleed When I Floss?
As mentioned, your gums can bleed if you don’t floss enough. This is due to dental conditions like periodontal disease linked to oral hygiene issues. The same applies to over-flossing aggressively. You can easily hurt your gums every time you floss if you are not gentle.
How to Stop Bleeding Gums?
To stop bleeding gums, take the following measures:
- Brush and floss daily: Maintaining good oral hygiene, that is, brushing twice daily and flossing at least once. This will ensure you maintain good oral health and get rid of dental conditions like gum disease linked to bleeding gums.
- Visit your dentist: If you maintain good dental hygiene but still have bleeding gums, you need to see a dentist. Conditions like gingivitis may be to blame.2 You may also have other medical conditions, including blood clotting disorders that directly/indirectly affect gum health and cause gum bleeding.3
A dentist will also be able to identify other causes of gum bleeding, such as poorly fitting dentures, oral infections, use of blood thinners, vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and more.
What to Do for Bleeding Gums
If you maintain good health and still have bleeding gums when you floss gently, you need to see a dentist. Since there are many underlying causes for bleeding gums, a dentist is the best-placed medical professional to identify the root cause of the problem and offer an effective solution.
If you are bleeding due to gum disease (or periodontitis), your dentist should offer treatmentl ike antibiotics (if needed) and professional deep cleaning to remove tartar and plaque build up, lower inflammation, and boost gum tissue reattachment. In severe cases, you may need gum surgery.
Important: You should see a dentist whether you experience pain or not. If the bleeding is accompanied by pain, most people wouldn’t be able to ignore it. Nevertheless, we recommend a dental visit if you suffer from persistent bleeding gums, whether it is accompanied by pain or not. In fact, you should go for regular dental checkups at least twice a year just to ensure you have good dental health.
If you are bleeding due to poor oral hygiene, you may need to learn how to care for your teeth and gums to fix it. Ideally, you should floss gently but thoroughly. There’s a good and bad way to floss and brush, and your dentist should be able to demonstrate proper brushing/flossing routine and techniques, including the right type of toothbrush to use (a soft-bristled one).
Final Thoughts
In many cases, your gums may be bleeding when you floss because you aren’t gentle or you don’t practice regular flossing. However, it may be due to oral health conditions like periodontal disease.
We recommend you see a dentist to ensure the underlying cause is not a serious dental condition, a poor flossing/brushing technique, or a routine that will cause serious injury and other problems like tooth loss in the long run.
A dentist will also treat you accordingly and offer dental cleaning services such as root planing, which deals with plaque buildup and tartar buildup in hard-to-reach areas.
Looking for a Dentist for Bleeding Gums in Toronto?
Toronto (near Bloor West) is home to a family dental clinic – The Little Green Building, with dental professionals ready to diagnose bleeding gums and other dental health conditions.
Book an appointment NOW to uncover the underlying cause of your problem as well as get effective treatment that lowers the risk of gum disease.
Call: 416-769-8135 or email: littlegreenbuilding@gmail.com. You can also visit the dental clinic in person (Google Maps).
Talk to us if you have gum sensitivity or suspect you have early-stage or even advanced gum disease. We’ll help you put a stop to your gum bleeding problem in no time!
References
[2] Mayoclinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gingivitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354453
[3] Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24908-bleeding-gums
