Bleeding gums.. it hurts to eat!

[Buriedalive]

I've always had bleeding gums, a few years back the dentist said it wasn't gum disease.
I had a check up a few weeks ago, everything was fine, but she said when I'm brushing, not to be afraid of brushing my gums. i usually am gentle, or stop when they start to bleed but recently only part of my gum really hurts, especially when I eat, I can't floss.. brushing it really hard feels nice, like a relief but then just makes it worse. Eating, is becoming a real pain in the arse!

[helensburgh]

Immediate help is via corsodyl mouthwash .

It really helps.

I'd see yourcdentistagain though

[TryingNotToLaugh]

Make an appointment with a good hygienist. Not a dentist. They look for different things.

[WooItsAGhostCat]

Sorry if this sounds like stating the obvious but have you been checked for vitamin deficiencies? Many people with a good diet are still deficient, which can cause bleeding gums. Often mistaken for gum disease etc. yy to seeing a hygienist .

[Scarletohello]

Oh God I feel your pain. My gums have been bleeding for a while and now they're so sore I'm having trouble eating. I've been too scared to go to the dentist but I'm going to try and get an emergency appointment tomorrow. I'm so scared I'm going to lose my teeth! I've been using Corsodyl mouthwash but it hasn't helped. Are there any other treatments for this..?

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

Yes get to a hygienist. My dentist also told me I didn't have gum disease. He was wrong. Several years of treatment later I still have all my teeth but have lost a lot of bone and have bad gum recession.

Don't mean to scare you but bleeding gums aren't normal and need to be looked at.

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

Scarlet it depends on the extent of the gum disease and the aggressiveness. I had a particular aggressive form and had several deep cleans under local anaesthetic, followed by regular check ups. I use a sonicare and tepe interdental brushes now to keep it under control, along with a good toothpaste and sometimes mouthwash.

Corsydol is ok to use for short periods but can stain teeth, which isn't great because the staining creates rough areas that bacteria love to hang out in. So I needed to get regular scales and polishes whilst using it.

[Scarletohello]

Oh god this is scaring me. I had a horrid dream a few days ago when my teeth suddenly fell out.

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

Those dreams are pretty common though!

Go to the dentist, you've got nothing to lose.

[mawinter]

You might try changing your toothbrush as well. I recently suffered from this issue myself and turns out i was using the wrong brush, which in turn lead to severe inflammation and bleeding.
Also gargle with some salt water, this will help rid of any bacteria and sooth your gums.

[MrsTitchyMarsh]

Scarlet you need the plaque removing by the hygienist. This is what builds up around the gum line and then bacteria latch on and gums get inflamed.
A normal toothbrush won't shift it- not even an electric one.

I use an electric brush and teepee brushes. I have my teeth cleaned at the hygienist every 4 months because I've got an area of gum inflammation which is 'containable' but which mustn't get to the next stage when it would be serious and need cleaning under anaesthetic.

You will prob need 2 trips to the hygienist close together followed by lots of brushing at home, teepee brushes, Corsidol and maybe even a change of diet- no sugar.

[LIZS]

It is a vicious circle , you don't brush hard because it bleeds and hurts but then the bacteria and plaque build up increases so bleeding , inflammation and bad breath worsens. I had several very uncomfortable deep cleans from a hygienist (ask for local anaesthetic paste first) which went under the gum line and now have a regular scale and polish but the bleeding has improved no end.

[Scarletohello]

Well I bit the bullet today and rang a dentist. Fortunately they can see me tomorrow. My gums are so sore today, the only things I've been able to eat are scrambled eggs and soup!

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

How did you get on Scarlet?

[Scarletohello]

Aw thanks for asking. Dentist was v nice, they took an X-ray and booked me in for 2 deep cleans. She said there was a lot of plaque under the gums which is hard to get at. I do smoke and she said that doesn't help and people who stop smoking notice a marked improvement in their gums. They are still sore and the clean won't be for a while but I'm so glad I went. She said if I'd left it another 6 months the prognosis wouldn't have been so good. Still only able to eat soup today but at least I will lose a bit of weight ( every cloud eh..?)

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

That's great! Yes do stop smoking if you can, it's very bad for gums.