Is It Ever Normal For Someone’s Gum to Bleed?
By Alan Levine | Published on November 18, 2011 | 0 Comments
No, it is never normal for someone’s gums to bleed. Bleeding gums are almost always a sign of periodontitis or gum disease, explains Dr. Alan M. Levine, DDS, a dentist in Chevy Chase, MD. Gum disease is a serious medical condition that should not be ignored.
If a person who was in the shower washing their face looked at the washcloth and saw that it was covered in blood, he would most definitely jump in a car and head straight to the emergency room. However, people who brush their teeth and notice that their toothbrushes are covered in blood will frequently chalk the experience up to something they ate or did to their gums in recent days.
The Chevy Chase, MD, dentist says it is never normal for the gums to bleed, and a person who notices that his gums are bleeding should visit a dentist, just as someone who notices his face is bleeding should visit a physician.
Bleeding gums are a sign of inflammation, as well as a sign that certain root areas may be exposed. Inflammation itself comes from bacteria, explains Dr. Levine. Bacteria is constantly on people’s teeth because the mouth is open to the oral environment, however that bacteria should not make people’s gums bleed. Bleeding gums are a sign of early gum disease, and the Chevy Chase, MD, dentist says it could also be implicated with late gum disease, as well.
Of course, most people don’t get bleeding gums without first noticing a few less obvious symptoms. The first symptom that most people with early gum disease will recognize is that their gums start to become inflamed. Gums attach around the tooth, and they seal to the tooth like the skin around the body. If the gum starts to get inflamed, and if it stays inflamed for a long enough period of time, then it will eventually separate from the tooth. This separation from the tooth allows bacteria to get inside the gums and down to the bone, and that bacteria then causes the bone to start to dissolve.
Eventually, the bacteria that has been allowed to get underneath the tooth will dissolve the bone to the point where the teeth will start to get loose – essentially, the patient has lost the concrete around the posts that are his teeth. This would be considered late stage gum disease, and it is important for people to visit the dentist in Chevy Chase, MD, to get help before their condition gets that serious.
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: 301-637-8285
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.