If you’re suffering with bleeding gums, don’t worry. Often bleeding gums are just very early signs of gingivitis (the first stage of gum disease) and can be easily sorted out with some work from the hygienist and a new oral health routine. Here’s the guide on gum health from your dentist in Chiswick.

Why do gums bleed?

More often than not we find at the practice that patients have bleeding gums because they have become inflamed. Why do gums become inflamed? Well if we don’t have a good enough oral health routine in place we can often cause a build up of food particles and bacteria that solidifies and turns to plaque and tartar. From this nasty acids are realized and the body goes into protection mode, sending blood to the gums to help protect them. So really bleeding gums in the early signs is just our body being super clever and telling us something is wrong.

How do I get my gums to stop bleeding?

If you are experiencing bleeding gums it’s really important you get in contact with us at strand on the green dental practice as soon as you possibly can. We’ll get you booked in for a check as soon as possible to get a clear picture of exactly what it is that’s going on.

If it is just the early stages of gum disease your dentist in Chiswick will recommend for most patients an appointment with the hygienist will be enough to begin the healing process and return your gums to pink and healthy. However this is not the end of the road. If you don’t get on top of a deep oral health routine you could keep having the same issue come back.

What does good oral health look like?

If you aren’t brushing twice a day you need to start. You should be brushing for a minimum of two minutes every morning ideally after breakfast and again just before you go to bed. Make sure when you’re brushing to be using a circular motion that travels across the whole of the tooth, inner, outer and top and that you’re paying special attention to the gum line as this is where bacteria builds up really easily.

If you aren’t flossing and using interdental brushes we really recommend you start. Interdental brushes are fantastic for getting those large pieces of food debris from between teeth and gums but if you want to get right into the tiny areas flossing is still the best option on the market. We totally understand that flossing can feel time consuming and a faff but you will 100% thank us in the long term. Imagine how much emotional and physical stress you would go through if you lost a tooth. Once you’ve got the hang of it, flossing can be really quick and easy.

Mouthwash, now it is not needed at all but if you want to integrate mouthwash into your daily routine it wont do any harm, but mouthwash is not to be replaced for good brushing and regular flossing. Mouthwash is great for freshening breath and removing any loose particles in the mouth through swilling and spitting – but it does not clean your teeth or gums. Get in contact with your dentist in Chiswick at strand on the green dental for further information.