Bleeding Gums - help!

sarah307
sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My gums have been bleeding... for over a year.

At first, it was just every once in a while. Then it was every time I brushed my teeth. I've tried different toothbrushes and toothpaste. I used to floss, but don't anymore because it makes the bleeding worse. I do not brush hard. I brush my teeth once in the morning and once in the evening. I take good care of my mouth... so I don't know why I am having these issues.

It is getting worse and to the point where I am spitting out blood daily. I just moved and started a new job recently and am trying to find a dentist in my area. I work day shift and cannot take off work to make an appointment. All the dental offices that I've researched in my area have hours that are 8-5 M through F... which is exactly what I work.

I am still going to continue trying to find a dental office that is open on Saturdays or later in the evening. I have to ask a month in advance to get off work..so how am I going to make my dental appointment on the exact day that I ask off? This is getting ridiculous!!

I just want to know if anyone else has had this problem and what did they do about it.

I have done lots of research already, but I thought I'd post this and see if anyone that has experienced something similar could comment. Gingivitis? Is this a big deal?

Thanks guys!!! I appreciate your comments.

Replies

  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    it's called GINGIVITUS!

    Take off from work to go...seriously you have been waiting an entire year? Are you some kind of secret agent that can't miss work?
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    No good. That long? That might be a big problem. Keep flossing, even if you bleed. Floss after every meal. Do it for a week and see if the bleeding subsides. You might have pretty severe gingivitis. If flossing doesn't help bring down the inflammation then you will need surgery.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    Not flossing is one of the things that can cause bleeding. Try flossing very gently and briefly for a while, and then build up. But you need to see a dentist. Dental problems can become very very expensive if not treated. And they can become very very permanent. And sometimes it can effect your health in other ways. You don't want to need surgery, you don't want to lose your teeth, and you don't want to make the rest of your body sick. It's not something to look the other way about. Go to the dentist.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    You make your dental appointment for when ever you can get it, and request that time off. If you really feel that you need to wait that month, then ask for an appointment at the end of February. Then ask for that time off. Or hell, call in sick if you have to. It's your health. Don't mess around. Your employer can not deny you the right to take care of your health.
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    Or hell, call in sick if you have to. It's your health. Don't mess around. Your employer can not deny you the right to take care of your health.

    thats true. thanks for that
  • BaileyBoo13524
    BaileyBoo13524 Posts: 593 Member
    I'm in the dental field and it sounds like severe gingivitis or ANUG (research it) which can be caused by stress. Flossing will actually help the bleeding. At first it may seem like the floss is making it worse, but it will eventually get better. Seriously go see and dentist or doc this sounds like a very severe case and gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease which causes you to lose bone and eventually your teeth.
  • Simone_King
    Simone_King Posts: 467 Member
    Let me give you some advice...

    GO TO THE DENEIST!
  • pamperedhen
    pamperedhen Posts: 446 Member
    My uncle was the Dean of Dentistry at the University of Pitt years ago, he told me to use only peroxide and baking soda. I have only had 1 cavity and my teeth are very white. My 4 kids and hubby all practice the same dental hygiene. None of them have any problems! What you do is take about 1 TBS of peroxide and swish in your mouth for about 15 sec. spit out, then dip your tooth brush in baking soda and brush gently!:drinker:

    PLEASE go to the dentist as soon as possible!
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    I'm in the dental field and it sounds like severe gingivitis or ANUG (research it) which can be caused by stress. Flossing will actually help the bleeding. At first it may seem like the floss is making it worse, but it will eventually get better. Seriously go see and dentist or doc this sounds like a very severe case and gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease which causes you to lose bone and eventually your teeth.

    oh my gosh!! Okay, definitely going to make a dental appointment.
  • iloveamystery
    iloveamystery Posts: 5 Member
    On the topic of getting off and finding a dentist, have you considered asking your coworkers for their dentists? I'm sure they could give you not only suggestions for dentists that fit your hours but also for their methods of making time to see them (e.g., sick days, personal days, etc.). Good luck!
  • chellebublz
    chellebublz Posts: 568 Member
    I dealt with this for years and was afraid to go to the dentist, severe phobia. But I really WISH I had just sucked it up and done it. I have an upper denture now and I am a dental hygiene nazi now, according to my fiance. It is so so important and I wish I had listened to my mother growing up about how important and just gone to the dentist. One checkup is way easier than the 10 months of procedures I went through. (Most don't take 10 years, but waits for appointments with my dentist are a long time between appointments).

    You are young now, get it done while you still are. When you have children, pregnancies are very hard on your teeth and gums.
  • mrsmyers1988
    mrsmyers1988 Posts: 11
    hi, im a registered dental hygienist and your gums should NOT bleed....

    1) are you using a soft toothbrush? (you should be)
    2) are you brushing horizontally instead of vertically (side to side instead of up and down)? use small circles
    3) do you have a vitamin deficiency?
    4) when was the last time you had them cleaned?

    My suggestion to you is to set a day that you have off and call around all the dental offices on that day off and see if there is a cancellation for you to have a consultation, that your gums are bleeding and you are concerned.

    In the meantime, make sure your toothbrush is soft, make sure you are not scrubbing your teeth, make sure you are brushing up and down in small circles, make sure you are not lacerating your tissue with the floss (make a c shape with your floss), use listerine, perhaps take a multivitamin...

    and go to your dentist :)
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    hi, im a registered dental hygienist and your gums should NOT bleed....

    1) are you using a soft toothbrush? (you should be)
    2) are you brushing horizontally instead of vertically (side to side instead of up and down)? use small circles
    3) do you have a vitamin deficiency?
    4) when was the last time you had them cleaned?

    My suggestion to you is to set a day that you have off and call around all the dental offices on that day off and see if there is a cancellation for you to have a consultation, that your gums are bleeding and you are concerned.

    In the meantime, make sure your toothbrush is soft, make sure you are not scrubbing your teeth, make sure you are brushing up and down in small circles, make sure you are not lacerating your tissue with the floss (make a c shape with your floss), use listerine, perhaps take a multivitamin...

    and go to your dentist :)

    Thanks for the advice!!

    I have a soft brush and brush in small circles. (always have)

    I am going to try calling a bunch of offices during my lunch tomorrow and try to make an appointment then ask that day off.
  • mrsmyers1988
    mrsmyers1988 Posts: 11
    you're welcome! i wish i could help more, there are a TON of cancellations here lately because of the flu and bad weather (NC/VA) so i'm sure you could get worked in....let me know if you have any questions....
  • bombshell89
    bombshell89 Posts: 1
    Hello there! I actually wouldnt really have any advice on this as to I have the SAME problem with my gums. They have bleed just like yours for almost a year. I hadnt gone to the dentist in almost 2yrs due to no insurance but they problem got so bad I had to go so I went to the dentist and had them cleaned and got an oral rinse prescription. The first month or two they were fine and back to normal. I used the rinse, soft toothbrush, sensodone toothpaste and flossed but they eventually started bleeding bad again, bad. I now have went twice to the dentist to get them cleaned and hoping this second time has done the trick. My dentist also told me besides gengivatias it could be stress related or another health related reason such as diabetes. If you have had better luck maybe you could give me some advice on this.
  • satch45
    satch45 Posts: 126 Member
    This is going to sound gross but hear me out on this....use hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash.

    Now before you knock it, do the research. I'm not going to lie, it's gross, nasty, repulsive...but it works. It has been known to slow if not stop the effects of bone loss/ gingivitus!!

    Ok, let's do the pluses and minuses of this:

    PLUS: It may work MINUS: Nasty Taste
    PLUS: Whiter teeth MINUS: Yucky
    PLUS: No more Bleeding Gums Murphy (Simpsons Reference)

    So...H2O2, it's one option to look at

    By the way, Hello Sarah it's been awhile hasn't it!

    -Russ
  • mrsmyers1988
    mrsmyers1988 Posts: 11
    they make a rinse called Peroxyl.
  • jesykalei
    jesykalei Posts: 9
    I had that and ended up having Periodontal Disease, which is what gingivitis can escalate too. Mine was caused by many factors, including genes, smoking (I have since quit a couple of years ago), and not flossing. I had to have gum surgery, but afterwards my gums are much better. Don't ignore it. because it can lead to tooth loss and other health issues
  • DepauvilleKid
    DepauvilleKid Posts: 15
    You already knew the answer before you even asked the question. Like everyone else said, GO TO THE DENTIST! Make an appointment, then apply for that afternoon off. It may mean a loss in that day's wages if you don't get sick time. But that is way better than an outrageously expensive and probably painful ordeal you're going to go through if you keep putting it off.

    Dental problems are not like a cold, they won't just clear up in a week.
  • gail27312
    gail27312 Posts: 1
    I've been using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide for my whole life (I'm 61). I have very healthy gums and nice white teeth. I floss and get my teeth cleaned 2x a year as suggested by dentists. No dentures, just a simple cavity from years ago. The baking soda is a light abrasive that gets rid of the plaque and the H2O2 kills bacteria, whitens teeth, and freshens your breath.
  • raeleek
    raeleek Posts: 414 Member
    So as everyone has mentioned definitely see a dentist but also what about your vitamin C?

    I had the same problem about a year and a half ago and no matter what I did it wouldn't stop. No gum disease, gingivitis, no gum issues other than bleeding.

    I started researching and found that vitamin C plays a major roll in gum tissue health. I was already getting my RDA of vitamin C but I thought what the hell I'll up it because nothing else is working. I got a supplement at Whole Foods which was about 1600% of your RDA on top of what I was already consuming. Within two weeks my gums stopped bleeding. I got really sick over the holidays and didn't supplement for a few weeks and I noticed towards the end of my sickness they started to mildly bleed when I'd floss. Once I got back on the vitamin C it stopped.

    Now before I get nipped at, see your dentist, upping vitamin C will not work for all, see your doctor about changing supplements............fill in whatever might get me in trouble.

    Keep in mind that the RDA is the lowest amount of a vitamin or mineral you need to prevent you from getting sick but all bodies work differently. I have Crohns disease I have a harder time absorbing certain vitamins and minerals so I've been advised medically to up my supplements. Worth a shot if your dentist rules out other mouth issues.
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    you need that checked out, could be because of something underlying ....also baking soda and hydrogen peroxide does work very well for bleeding gums , but still get it checked out
  • alexanderdgray
    alexanderdgray Posts: 8
    Can't believe no one has mentioned this. Yes, keep flossing, see a dentist, but also...

    USE A WATER PIK!

    You'll see improvement in a matter of days.
  • brewedtea
    brewedtea Posts: 19 Member
    I went to school for dental assisting, and while it can be numerous different things, the most basic reason is that you're not flossing. I have the same problem and in the beginning it will make your gums bleed more but if you are consistent the bleeding will get less and less. Even if I miss just a few days of flossing, they will bleed again. Try using the Oral-B Glide floss, which I think makes flossing easier compared to a regular floss.

    http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/oral-care/flossing-1

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