What you can do to help bleeding gums and help them to heal painlessly and easily. It starts with daily flossing. Are you really flossing everyday? No, really. We mean twice a day. Everyday. We can help your gums get healthy and back back on track. 

Let’s start with, you’re not alone. Bleeding gums is a huge problem most people don’t talk about. The CDC says almost 50% of Americans suffer from Gingivitis – gum inflammation, caused by bacteria in the mouth. I for one, was a terrible flosser (AKA never) and thanks to Dr. Randolph my gums no longer bleed.

Of course there are many reasons your gums might bleed, like gum infection, loose teeth, receding gums, a change in your bite, etc (see CDC article above), but if you can be honest with yourself and attribute the bleeding to poor oral care, then really the only way to stop it is to have better oral hygiene. You do want to keep all those pearly whites right?

Here are some solutions you can try:

1. Gums bleed because there is bacteria that hardens along the gum line, so make sure you’re seeing your dentist for regular visits to clean away these infection causing deposits. I didn’t for over a year and hence why they started bleeding on top of my rarely flossing.
2. Brusha Brusha Brusha twice a day, floss away any remaining food, then use an alcohol free mouthwash to kill the bacteria. We’re after killing that harmful bacteria that is irritating and infalamming your gums.
   1. The brushes RFD likes are the Philips Sonicare with sensitive heads (the one I bought due to cost) or the OralB Braun with sensitive heads. If you’re having trouble getting to the back of your molars they also gave me a Gum End Tuft Brush to try.
   2. Floss they recommend is the Glide Pro Health series –  Gum Soft Picks are also really great for on the go or after a meal, which help me and one tough pocket I have on a back molar.
   3. For Mouthwashes you can use a Crest Multi Protection (my fav), Colgate Gum Health, or Sensodyne Sensitivity Protection product depending on your likes. Just make sure it’s alcohol free so you don’t tear up 😢.
3. If you have deep pockets like I do, there really isn’t any way to reach deep enough along the tooth to kill the bacteria. The jaw bone will then breakdown and the pocket gets deeper still. The weird thing is that you may notice some bleeding but most people have no pain at all until it is too late. So don’t wait for it to hurt – have the Dr create a treatment plan early on. There are many treatment options if you catch the problem early: deep cleaning, laser cleaning, LANAP laser surgery, or bone grafting surgery. By the time a tooth hurts, it is usually loose and has to be pulled out. #nothanks
4. Mouthwash and flossing after brushing will be your best at home bet – you want to kill bacteria and keep it fresh and clean.
5. If you’re looking for other quick/cheap/easy home remedies they’re out there, but they most likely won’t work alone. Up that home oral hygiene and if you don’t see results please contact your dentist.

I had a deep cleaning in mid December with the LANAP laser treatment and 3 days later my gums no longer bled (they were sensitive for a few days). My mouth quickly healed and I am happy to report that I had no pain or discomfort.

Now I floss and brush daily (jk I’d say 4-5 times a week cause I’m still a work in progress) and already see a huge difference in my oral hygiene.

Cheers,

Michael