Bleeding gums can be caused by two things; ‘gingivitis’ or ‘gum disease’. The most common cause of bleeding gums is gingivitis so that’s what we are going to focus on in the article. However, if you have concerns about your gums you may also want to look at the article about gum disease.
Gingivitis
It’s a word that most people will have heard but may not really understand what it means. When I told my sister that she had gingivitis, she just thought I was being mildly racist on account of her strawberry-blonde barnet.
So let’s break it down. ‘Gingiva’ is just a fancy word for gum. ‘itis’ is what you stick on the end of a word that means inflammation. When a part of your body has inflammation, it is probably swollen, red and sore. That area is irritated by something.
Arthritis is inflammation of your joints. Gingivitis is inflammation of your gums.
Gingivitis is caused by bacteria and plaque sitting on your gums and irritating them. It’s as simple as that. And the treatment is simple too.
Healthy gums vs gingivitis.
Treatment; Brushing
The good news is that gingivitis is ever so easy to treat. All you have to do is get rid of what is irritating your gums. That is the plaque. So dust off your toothbrush and dental tape and go to town on those pesky bacteria.
The bad news is that if you don’t sort out the gingivitis early then it can progress to gum disease. This is much more serious than gingivitis and will require some help from your dentist.
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