Author: Lizzie Smith – blog last updated on Wednesday 4th January 2024

Gums should be pink in colour and fit well to your teeth. Usually, gums shouldn’t bleed when you brush or floss your teeth. If they do bleed, it’s a sign they’re inflamed. This is generally caused by a chronic infection that you should tackle quickly.

Neglected gingivitis can spread to the deeper dental tissues, which means there’s periodontal disease. If this isn’t treated, the bone tissue will eventually be affected, leading to irreparable bone destruction, which causes teeth and molars to become loose and may fall out.

In an earlier phase, the gums can recede, so they no longer fit properly with the teeth and molars. The dentin then becomes exposed and is no longer protected by the gums. As there’s no tooth enamel in these places, caries (cavities) can quickly develop.

Even before that happens, gum disease causes increasing pain and discomfort, for example, when brushing teeth and chewing. The bacteria in the inflammation can also cause bad breath and negatively impact your overall health.

In many cases, bleeding gums are the first sign of inflammation. You can still solve this yourself at this stage, provided you have the right resources. This will prevent more severe problems such as gum recession and periodontal disease.

The causes of bleeding gums

Bleeding gums are usually caused by plaque – a thin layer that forms on your teeth during the day. It consists of food particles, saliva and bacteria. If you don’t remove plaque twice a day, the bacteria in it irritate the gums, which respond by bleeding. 

Plaque also hardens into tartar due to the minerals in the saliva. Tartar is porous, which roughens the tooth surface and attracts even more plaque. In addition, tartar can grow under your gums, where it’s unhindered, leading to inflamed and bleeding gums and caries (cavities).

In addition to plaque, there are several possible causes for bleeding gums, such as malnutrition and especially vitamin C deficiency. Another known cause of bleeding gums is pregnancy. Under the influence of pregnancy hormones, blood flow improves to the gums, making bleeding easier. Although bleeding gums in a pregnant woman doesn’t necessarily mean gingivitis, you should be extra alert to gestational gingivitis during pregnancy. Read more about it here.

How to remedy bleeding gums

1. Brush your teeth

You should brush your teeth properly, but insufficient or improper brushing can undoubtedly cause bleeding gums. Do your gums bleed when you brush? Don’t let that stop you from brushing your teeth; otherwise, you’ll be in trouble.

Don’t brush too hard, but brush twice daily for two minutes. Use a soft manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush. Removing plaque from your teeth is a prerequisite for healthy gums. So, if necessary, ask your dentist or dental hygienist for cleaning instructions.JuliBrite chewing toothpaste against bleeding gums.

2. Flossing and brushing

Plaque isn’t limited to the easily accessible surfaces of your teeth. Plaque also remains between your teeth, so you should clean these interdental spaces daily by flossing, brushing or using toothpicks. If your gums start to bleed due to flossing or brushing, you should continue with it.

After flossing or brushing, it’s a good idea to rinse your mouth with a good mouthwash.

3. Use toothpaste and mouthwash that contains the right ingredients

Not all ingredients of toothpaste and mouthwash respect the natural balance of the oral flora. Some dry out the oral mucosa and acidify the mouth. The natural balance of the oral flora, hydration and the proper acidity are essential. Not only for the health of your gums but also for the preservation of your teeth and overall health.

That’s why you should carefully choose your toothpaste and mouthwash for ingredients that support the oral flora instead of disrupting it. Of course, harmful bacteria must be combated, and this can be done effectively, for example, with RyttPro Toothpaste Magic Mint. The effective formula OZ-3X leaves the rest of the oral flora intact, doesn’t dry out the oral mucosa and stabilises the acidity in the mouth.

After brushing and flossing, use the accompanying, equally mouth-friendly RyttPro Oral Rinse mouthwash to rinse your mouth.

4. Remove tartar

No matter how well you brush your teeth, tartar will eventually form on your teeth. Therefore, you should regularly visit your dental hygienist or dentist for dental cleaning. However, you can remove the supra-gingival (visible) tartar yourself between professional dental cleanings, for example, with the soft Moist-R Whitening Sponge or the Professional Dental Hook. Read more about removing tartar yourself here.

5. Enjoy a healthy diet and lifestyle

If you really take good care of your teeth and mouth but still suffer from bleeding gums, something else may be going on. A healthy diet is just as much a prerequisite for healthy gums. With a healthy and varied diet, you can prevent a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C, in particular, has a direct effect on your gums. An unhealthy diet containing a lot of sugar and carbohydrates is also food on which harmful bacteria in your mouth thrive.

In line with this, unhealthy habits such as smoking and excessive use of alcohol are also terrible for your oral health and can contribute to inflamed and bleeding gums.

If this isn’t the case, there may be an underlying disease, and you should consult your doctor.

6. Purchase a Healthy Gums Kit

Bleeding gums are the first symptom of inflamed gums, which you can easily treat yourself in this phase. You can use the same remedies to prevent bleeding gums.

In the RyttPro Healthy Gums Kit, you’ll find toothpaste and mouthwash containing effective but mouth-friendly ingredients.

The formula of RyttPro, OZ-3X, consists of stabilised chlorine dioxide, zinc and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). Mild and completely safe, yet effective at removing plaque and fighting harmful oral bacteria. RyttPro toothpaste contains fluoride to protect your teeth against caries (cavities).

Special instruments have been added to the package to prevent bleeding gums or, in mild cases, to treat them. With the mouthpiece (tray), you can let the toothpaste work on your gums, and with the jaw syringe, you can spray mouthwash specifically on the spot where your gums are bleeding.

7. Visit the dentist

If the health of your teeth or gums leaves much to be desired despite good care, visit your dentist. In addition, periodic check-ups and professional dental cleanings are still necessary. Doing your best to prevent bleeding and inflamed gums ensures dental treatments are needed less often and will be less invasive.

The dentist or dental hygienist must also treat inflamed gums in a further phase. After such a treatment, pay more attention to your daily oral hygiene using the tips above. This way, you can prevent bleeding gums in the future.

Sources

Oral Health Foundation: Gum disease

British Dental Journal: Time to take gum disease seriously