Do you find your gums bleeding oftentimes when you brush or even when you floss or use cocktail sticks…aka tooth picks? Well it could be a sign of gum disease…or perhaps, you are actually causing the problems without knowing. How can you be the cause? I’ll tell you!

Your brushing and flossing techniques could be the culprits. If you use very hard bristles and attack your teeth as if attempting to scrub out stains on a grimy pot 😀 you could be causing significant damage  to your gum. If you also floss by forcing the floss in between your teeth, then this could very well be the cause of the problem.

Where the problem is not caused by your wrong ‘hygiene’ techniques, it could be due to gum disease. Gum disease arises due to lack of good dental hygiene which causes plaque forming bacteria to accumulate in the mouth and lead to swollen and bleeding gums. If this happens and is noticed early, it can be reversed before it starts causing tooth loss and weakening of the gum and bone structure holding the teeth (periodontitis). Other culprits could be hormones (during pregnancy or menstruation) and chemotherapy.

Prevention is, of course, targeted at the causes:

Brush your teeth at least twice a day using soft bristled tooth brushes. Brush in circular motions, gently removing the plaque and massaging the gums. Mentally divide your mouth into four sections and be sure to spend at least 30 seconds on each section of your teeth brushing all sides and chewing surfaces.

Floss daily, following the natural curve of your teeth. This activity does not take too long but spares you a lifetime of woes :D. Sounds a bit like, ‘a stitch in time, saves nine’, huh! (Someone once told me that one of the signs of aging is that you start using a lot of clichés…could the person be right, you think?! Hmm, this is not good for my self esteem :D. But, I digress…)

Eat a well balanced diet with lots of fruits and veggies. This ensures that you have the right supply of minerals and vitamins which helps prevent gum disease.

Drink a lot of water which ensures that plaque forming bacteria are washed off teeth. Ensure that other fluids you take are neither too hot or too cold. Lukewarm food goes easier on your gums.

Finally, relax as the stress hormone cortisol can significantly contribute to swelling and bleeding of your gums by causing inflammation. Can you imagine…stressing out over Lagos traffic can actually cause my gums to bleed! 😉

So, there you have it! Let’s keep those gums nice, firm and pink 😀

Have a great weekend.

Here’s to a healthier you!