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Gum Diseases

Bleeding gums

03/01/2005

Question:

i have been having this problem and it paninful my gums bleed and they hurt alot is there anything that can be done. my dentist has given me rinses but they don`t seem to help

Answer:

Bleeding of your gums (gingiva) is generally a sign of inflammation.  This can be treated with professional dental cleaning if it is caused by poor oral hygiene and dental plaque accumulation.  If your gums are still bleeding after professional cleaning, you may have more severe forms of gingival/periodontal diseases.  Some of the bugs (microorganisms) causing this disease may penetrate to soft tissue and professional cleaning may not be enough.  This may need to be treated by systemic and/or local antibiotics together with professional cleaning.  If you have perfect oral hygiene and still are experiencing bleeding, this can be interpreted as a sign of some type of systemic disease (example: you may be allergic to a new restorative material in your mouth or you may have some type of immune system related disease).  In any case, I recommend you visiting a periodontist. Chronic inflammation will most often affect underlying supporting bone tissues, and you may end up developing severe forms of periodontal disease.

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Response by:

Binnaz Leblebicioglu, DDS, MS, PhD Binnaz Leblebicioglu, DDS, MS, PhD
Associate Professor of Periodontology
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University