Bleeding or Tender Gums

What You Should Expect

Are you noticing a bit of blood on your toothbrush and in your sink after you brush your teeth? Are your gums red and tender? If this is the case, you may have gingivitis as its most common symptom is bleeding gums. Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease and luckily, it is reversible at this stage so there is no need to panic. However, please do not ignore it, you will need to take prompt action in order to prevent it from worsening.

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Gingivitis

Gingivitis happens when the plaque and bacteria on your gum line is not removed properly, in other words, poor dental hygiene. Without regular and proper brushing and flossing, the healthy tissue around the teeth become weak and the buildup of plaque causes the gums to become inflamed and irritated. If you practice daily brushing and flossing, your gums will return to its healthy state. However, if you ignore your oral care, the plaque will harden, worsening gingivitis and over time, will lead to periodontitis. Periodontitis is the infection of the gums and will even damage the jawbone. It may cause your teeth to loosen or fall out.  

What Should You Do?

As soon as you notice bleeding of the gums, here are some tips to change up your oral care before you visit the dentist.

• Brush twice a day and floss at least once a day.

• Use a soft toothbrush or an electric toothbrush. A soft toothbrush is good for your delicate gums and an electric toothbrush will help you reach the gum line easily.

• Maintain a healthy diet consisting of low sugar and high nutrients. Eat sweets and sugary snacks in moderation.

• Some medications like aspirin can increase the chance of your gums bleeding as it thins the blood so speak to your doctor about this side effect.

If you have changed your dental habits and you are eating a healthy diet but your gums are still bleeding, book an appointment with your dentist.

Visiting Your Dentist

Your dentist will evaluate your condition and let you know what the next steps are. You will be advised to visit every six months for a cleaning. Your dentist will also teach you how to brush your teeth properly to stop bleeding gums from happening again.

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Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:

Bleeding gums can be a surprise but it can be prevented straight away. Don’t be afraid to talk to your dentist about ways to fix your oral care habits. Our dentists are here to help and with proper treatment, you will soon enjoy healthy gums.

Do I Really Have a Dental Emergency?

What counts as one?

It's late. Most businesses, including your regular dentist's office - have been closed for hours and won't be open again for hours either. Or if it's the weekend, possibly days. Which would usually be fine. Except you have a toothache that just won't quit. Or a chipped tooth that is both sharp and painful. Or, worse still, a tooth that is hanging by a thread, or knocked out altogether. But it is late, getting across town might be a pain and although you know that emergency dentists exist, don't they charge an arm and a leg?

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The fact is that it is important to know what kinds of oral health problems or dental injuries do require emergency treatment and which can probably wait until a more civilised hour. No, if you can avoid a mad midnight dash to the dentist's it's probably more convenient, but it won't always be the best thing for your oral health.
 

Take that knocked out tooth for example. A couple of decades ago everyone would have told you to suck it up, stop crying and deal with the fact that the tooth was gone. These days a lot has changed and a tooth that has been dislodged can be saved, but usually only if you act fast.

The toothache that just won't quit? Even though you have taken the bottle-recommended dose of Nurofen - and then some Panadol - twice and it's still there throbbing away, although in a slightly more muted fashion than before? Is that worth a visit to an emergency dentist? Will they be able to help or is toughing it out until the morning the most sensible option here?

Figuring out what is or isn't a dental emergency can indeed be hard. However, as a general rule of thumb all of the following may very well be 'serious' enough to warrant the emergency trip:

• A knocked-out tooth

• A severely chipped tooth that is very sensitive (indicating that there may be nerve damage)

• Objects stuck in the tooth

• Severely bleeding teeth or gums

• An abscessed tooth or gum area that is causing a great deal of pain.
   

One of the best things you can do in any potential emergency oral health situation is give an emergency dentist a call before you go anywhere. The staff at Emergency Dentist Sydney are available via phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are all trained to help even the most panicked patients and advise them about the best way to proceed to treat their unique dental emergency.

That might involve coming in to see a dentist right away, making an appointment for the next day or, in some rare cases, proceeding to the hospital emergency department instead.

The one thing you should not do is wait and wonder. It's only a simple phone call and if it turns out the problem can wait no one will think any less of you for having checked. Your oral health is hugely important - and so is your peace of mind - so no matter what the time it's better to be safe than sorry!

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Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:

Want to learn more about dental emergencies and their basic treatments? Check out the informative guide we put together here.

Why Ignoring Bleeding Gums Is A Big Mistake

Plaque, Bad Habits & Gum Disease

You notice a little pink when you rinse and spit after cleaning your teeth. Or there's a little blood on your floss when you remove it. No big deal right? Maybe not if it's a very occasional thing, but if your gums bleed regularly, even if it's just a little, it very well be a sign of a bigger problem you need to address as soon as possible. Here are some possible reasons for those red spots on your toothbrush and what you can do about it.

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Pesky Plaque Problems

One possible cause of bleeding gums is a plaque buildup around the gumline. Plaque is nasty stuff at the best of times, but if it is allowed to build up it hardens into tartar, which in turn irritates the gums, causes them to bleed and can eventually lead to full blown gum disease.

The fix here is to up your oral care game. The best thing to do is start of with a good professional cleaning and then keep things nice and squeaky clean from there. Brush AT LEAST twice a day and, no matter what you might have heard recently, to keep plaque buildup at bay you do still need to floss once a day as well.
 

Bad Brushes

It may be that it is the very tools you are using to try and keep your teeth clean are actually the cause of your bleeding gums problem. Often people think that the harder the bristle on their toothbrush the better the clean, but very hard bristled toothbrushes can be very tough on the gums. To avoid cutting your gums with a brush that is just too stiff - because that is what can happen all too easily - opt for a softer option. It will still get your teeth clean, it will just do so a little more gently, and your gums will thank you for that.
 

Pill Problems

Occasionally a certain prescription medication can have, as one of its side effects, the ability to cause your gums to bleed. This can be particularly true of some antihistamines, blood pressure medications and certain stronger antibiotics. If you suspect that your pills may be the problem, discuss the issue with your doctor, they may be able to change your prescription or offer some advice on how to deal with the problem.
 

Your Gums and Gingivitis

Gum disease - medically known as gingivitis - is probably one of the biggest causes of regular gum bleeds and only your dentist can help you solve the problem for good. How your gum disease is treated with depend upon the severity. In some cases improved oral hygiene can be the simple answer, but if the gingivitis is more advanced

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Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:

Rather than ignoring those 'little gum bleeds' make an appointment to do something about it today, before the problem gets worse or becomes irreparable. 

Dentists Surprising Role in Treating Eating Disorders

Here Are The Facts

When most of us think about eating we associate it primarily with sustenance and pleasure. However, for a growing number of Australians, many of whom are young, the act of eating anything is a real trial, as they are one the increasing number of people suffering from an eating disorder. And, believe it or not, it is often their dentist who notices the problem first.

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Eating Disorder Basic Facts  

According to The National Eating Disorders Collaboration, Australia is in this case right in line with the rest of the developed world, in that that the incidence of eating disorders and body image issues has increased significantly over the last 30 years.

The NEDC estimates that approximately 9% of the Australian population currently suffers from an eating disorder and that figure is increasing, with eating disorders now being the 12th leading cause of mental health hospitalisation in Australia. And perhaps most worrying of all is the fact that up to 1 in 5 of the afflicted will die prematurely.

As we mentioned before, the problem is especially worrying among younger people. In a survey conducted by the NEDC 84.3% of the 15-25 year olds interviewed said that they personally knew of a peer that they believed suffered from an eating disorder and 62% said they knew of five or more.

How Dentists are Helping Those at Risk  

No matter what kind of eating disorder a person is suffering from it is the norm that they are very secretive about both the problem and the behaviours it causes. It is very rare for them to voluntarily seek help alone, it usually takes the input of a concerned third party to persuade them to even begin to begin addressing their problem.

For the family GP, an eating disorder can be hard to spot, especially in a teenager or young twenty-something during a routine exam. The patient is not going to bring the issue up and fluctuations in weight are often considered fairly normal at this age. And as many young people are considered generally healthy they may not even visit the doctor anyway.

They probably do still visit the dentist though, at least once every six months, which is why it is becoming common that it is their dentist who notices a problem first. 

The Toll of Eating Disorders on Oral Health   

Eating disorders can - and do - take a real toll on the body, but much of this is not easily visible. Not everyone suffering is very obviously painfully thin and will often hide it even if they are with the way they dress. One place where symptoms and signs are more obvious however is the mouth, as eating disorders affect oral health in several significant ways. 

One big reason for this is the vomiting that is characteristic of eating disorders. Stomach acid is potent stuff, so the teeth of a person vomits on a very regular basis are often discoloured, or even almost translucent and may appear to be 'wearing away'. They may suffer from very bad breath, bleeding gums, tooth sensitivity, continually chapped lips and more, all of which a routine dental exam will reveal.

If a dentist does suspect an eating disorder problem they are in a great position to gently suggest that the patient begin seeking the right help. They can also help make sure that the damage to the teeth is minimised. As eating disorders are closely tied to image and self-esteem issues it can be very comforting for a recovering person to realise that they may not have damaged their teeth permanently and that like the rest of the body, they can be 'nursed' back to health with the right treatments.

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The Emergency Dentist Says:

Eating disorders are a serious issue but something that can be very hard to deal with. Parents who suspect their child may have a problem should consider scheduling them a dentist's appointment, as they should be able to spot the warning signs and help get the patient onto the treatment path they need to be on. 

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