If you think that this situation is normal, you are wrong.
Bleeding from the gums is usually the first sign of gum disease (gingivitis).
If you suffer from this problem speak to your dentist. He will usually refer you to our Preventive Dental Unit where we have very experienced dental hygienists who will advise in the latest preventive techniques to overcome the problem.
The hygienist will also assess the extent of your problem and advise on a lifetime preventative programme designed especially for you. She will devise a home care regime best suited to your needs, as well as helping you to select the most suitable oral health products for your condition. These include toothbrushes, toothpastes (including homoeopathic types), interdental cleaning systems and mouthrinses. She will also instruct you how to use them to best effect.
A preventative programme needs to be for a lifetime
This programme also includes descaling and polishing. Usually this is sufficient to bring the disease under control. However, the problem can be cyclical and the programme needs to be maintained throughout your life. The hygienist will advise you how frequently you need to visit the Preventive Dental Unit.
Sometimes, however, the problem is more advanced and further therapy is needed. Again, a programme is prepared for you involving several appointments over a period of weeks during which the hygienist will monitor your pocket depths (bone and tissue loss). More complex scaling is usually provided, often using local anaesthetic (‘freezing the gums’). Medicaments are often used in the pockets to eliminate the bacteria. These can be homoeopathic if necessary.
The dentist and hygienist work as a team and will be looking for other factors which worsen the problem. These typically include misalignment of the bite – often causing head and neck pain – and bone loss around the teeth.