“Are there any home remedies to treat bleeding gums?”
My son is 16 years old and has been complaining of bleeding gums on and off. He flosses and brushes regularly. Are there any home remedies that can help him? Is there anything he could add to his dental routine?
19 Answers
Your son needs to see a dentist. This is to make sure that there are no areas of infection that involves the bone under the gum tissue. Bleeding gums can be an indication of gingivitis.
This is a condition where only the gums are infected. It is REVERSIBLE with good home care. Does your son have any health issues? Does he smoke? Some vitamin deficiencies can contribute to bleeding gums. The hot smoke from cigarettes irritates the gum tissue. When your son visits the dentist you or your son can ask about the correct way to floss. Flossing is done along side the tooth, going down as far as you can go. You scrape this area gently. You hold the floss between the pointer fingers on each hand and scrape gently. You scrape up and down. You will be surprised at the white material that you scrape off. Brushing is next. You start on the last tooth in your mouth. With a soft toothbrush, you brush back and forth gently. The toothbrush is half on the tooth and half on the gum line. (Make sure you floss behind the last tooth and brush that gum line tooth area.) You brush all around to the opposite side on the lower, brush behind the last tooth on the lower and brush the gum line where your tongue rests. Go all around. Then brush the upper teeth, start in the back brush the tooth gum line area, back and forth. That 1/2 tooth1/2 gum line area, if not taken care of problems will start. Now you brush all the flat surfaces of all your teeth. Take a tongue cleaner or a teaspoon. Turn the round part to face the palate. Place the teaspoon in the middle of your tongue. Go back as far as you can without gagging. Gently scrape your tongue back to front. You will see a slimy mass of debris. That's what was in the nooks and crannies of your tongue. RINSE the spoon and do the other two sides. Rinse your mouth with salt water, then gargle. You can use a water irrigator. Your mouth will feel fresher. You can put some salt water in the water irrigator. It took me a long time to explain in writing. After you floss and clean your teeth, your mouth should feel fantastic. If you are flossing and brushing correctly you should not have bleeding gums. The toothbrush is soft. You are brushing gently. You are brushing back and forth at the tooth-gum line area. It should be like a message, not harsh. You are not raking your gums. Your toothbrush should be changed every 3 months. If you are using a sonic toothbrush, you place the toothbrush head. 1/2 tooth, 1/2 gum brushing back and forth.
This is a condition where only the gums are infected. It is REVERSIBLE with good home care. Does your son have any health issues? Does he smoke? Some vitamin deficiencies can contribute to bleeding gums. The hot smoke from cigarettes irritates the gum tissue. When your son visits the dentist you or your son can ask about the correct way to floss. Flossing is done along side the tooth, going down as far as you can go. You scrape this area gently. You hold the floss between the pointer fingers on each hand and scrape gently. You scrape up and down. You will be surprised at the white material that you scrape off. Brushing is next. You start on the last tooth in your mouth. With a soft toothbrush, you brush back and forth gently. The toothbrush is half on the tooth and half on the gum line. (Make sure you floss behind the last tooth and brush that gum line tooth area.) You brush all around to the opposite side on the lower, brush behind the last tooth on the lower and brush the gum line where your tongue rests. Go all around. Then brush the upper teeth, start in the back brush the tooth gum line area, back and forth. That 1/2 tooth1/2 gum line area, if not taken care of problems will start. Now you brush all the flat surfaces of all your teeth. Take a tongue cleaner or a teaspoon. Turn the round part to face the palate. Place the teaspoon in the middle of your tongue. Go back as far as you can without gagging. Gently scrape your tongue back to front. You will see a slimy mass of debris. That's what was in the nooks and crannies of your tongue. RINSE the spoon and do the other two sides. Rinse your mouth with salt water, then gargle. You can use a water irrigator. Your mouth will feel fresher. You can put some salt water in the water irrigator. It took me a long time to explain in writing. After you floss and clean your teeth, your mouth should feel fantastic. If you are flossing and brushing correctly you should not have bleeding gums. The toothbrush is soft. You are brushing gently. You are brushing back and forth at the tooth-gum line area. It should be like a message, not harsh. You are not raking your gums. Your toothbrush should be changed every 3 months. If you are using a sonic toothbrush, you place the toothbrush head. 1/2 tooth, 1/2 gum brushing back and forth.
Bleeding gums can be the symptom of a far more serious problem. If his teeth have been recently cleaned by a dental hygienist, then he should get a blood test to make sure his white blood cells are normal.
Ask dentist if he has gum disease. If so get it treated and bleeding should stop. If not, see a physician and tell them.
Bleeding gums may be a sign of periodontal disease. You should have a dental professional evaluate his teeth and gums. He may need more frequent professional cleanings.
Add the dental visit, and have them professionally cleaned, and determine the cause of bleeding gums.
Proper technique for brushing and flossing is key. I would have him discuss technique with his hygienist and have them show him proper technique. Something that may help is use of a Waterpik in addition to flossing. Here, as well, technique is very important.
Michelle B. Deutch
Dentist
A waterpik would be a good addition to his homecare. Also, make sure he is brushing at least twice a day.
Best to visit the Dentist as soon as possible. Bleeding gums on and off is a sign of some type disease process that should be evaluated and treated as soon as possible.
Bleeding gums are caused by direct either trauma of infection. The infection is managed by cleaning the teeth both at home and by your dentist. Inadequate cleaning will result in inflammation and infection, the result of which is decay, gum disease, and loss of bone around the teeth.
A 16 year old is likely to exhibit poor technique in manipulating dental floss so have his hygienist check his ability to thoroughly stimulate and clean interproximal areas between all the teeth. It's worth 5 minutes of her time to ensure that he's not just giving it a lick and a promise. A water irrigation unit is fairly inexpensive and very thorough in terms of replacing the need to floss for patients who are handicapped or had difficulty manipulating dental floss. Also there are flossing AIDS such as the floss Aid Corporation makes
Go and see your dentist. Your son may simply need a professional cleaning. After a while of plaque accumulation, the plaque mineralises, and forms tartar/calculus. This happens in most patients, even if you floss and brush regularly. The bleeding gums might even be a sign of an underlying disorder, or a side effect of medication.There is no home treatment for this, only a dental professional can remove the tartar/calculus. Your dentist and medical doctor will explore all other causes of bleeding gums.
Your son is 16, a sophomore, probably, in high school which is very stressful, with hormones surging through his body creating more stress. One thing to do is something to relieve stress: sports, long walks, meditation. (Smoking is NOT a good stress reliever but it is a good way to develop gum problems, among other big problems!) Next, he should be sure to brush his teeth twice a day along the gumline and ignore any bleeding that may occur. Floss every night. He might want to add a mouthrinse like The Natural Dentist (found in Vitamin stores.) Baking soda and peroxide toothpastes may help, as well. Good luck.
He probably needs a cleaning from a dental professional. Also, work on flossing techniques because I have never met a good flosser with bleeding gums.
Ravi Ramjit D.D.S
Ravi Ramjit D.D.S
Salt water rinses 4-5 times a day for few days helps a lot with the inflammation and bleeding. However, besides having good oral hygiene at home, it is important to see a dentist frequently because many times the cause of bleeding and inflammation is caused by Bacteria leaving in the mouth that only a professional cleaning can remove.
Thanks for your inquiry. There are many factors that can contribute to bleeding gums. If he is a regular flosser and brushes, consider his diet. He may be allergic to something that he eats on a regular bases, e.g., cinnamon, which burns the gums. The best thing to do is schedule a visit with his dentist to assess the situation. It is also a good idea to use alcohol-free mouthwash after flossing.