Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Treatment

Diagnosis

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Frequently Asked Questions

Bleeding gumscan occur for several reasons:gum disease, injury,pregnancy, and some health conditions. Brushing too vigorously or flossing when you haven’t flossed in a while can also cause the gums to bleed.

Because bleeding gums can occasionally indicate a health issue, seeing a dentist is best, especially if the problem is ongoing.

This article explains the symptoms, causes, and treatments for bleeding gums.

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Woman brushing her teeth

Symptoms of Bleeding Gums

Some symptoms accompany bleeding gums. If your gums start to bleed, you may experience the following:

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Causes of Bleeding Gums

Gum disease, brushing too hard, infections, and some cancers are several reasons your gums may bleed.

Periodontal (Gum) Surgery: Everything You Need to Know

Gum Disease

Whenplaquebuilds up along the gumline, it can lead togingivitis, a reversible gum disease that causes inflammation.During pregnancy, you may experience gingivitis because of the change in hormones. Adolescents during their growth spurts also experience a change in hormones and can also be more at risk of developing gingivitis.

If left untreated, gingivitis can lead toperiodontitis. This gum disease is irreversible and can lead to tissue and bone damage.

Pregnancy and Bleeding GumsDue to shifting hormones (estrogen and progesterone, gingivitis is more common duringpregnancy. About 75% of pregnant people may experience pregnancy gingivitis.

Pregnancy and Bleeding Gums

Due to shifting hormones (estrogen and progesterone, gingivitis is more common duringpregnancy. About 75% of pregnant people may experience pregnancy gingivitis.

Teeth Hygiene

In addition, friction fromdenturesor dental appliances that don’t fit well could rub against your gums and irritate them.

Cancer and Other Causes

More rarely, serious conditions, such as blood cancers (leukemia),bleeding disorders, gum or tooth infections, andvitamin deficiencies(vitamin K) andscurvy(vitamin C deficiency) may be to blame.

If your bleeding gums don’t seem to have an apparent cause, it’s a good idea to seek a medical evaluation.

What Medications Can Cause Bleeding Gums?

There are certain medications that can increase your risk of bleeding gums indirectly. It causes your gums to swell up making it harder to clean them, which increases the risk of developing gingivitis.

If you takeblood thinners, you may be at greater risk for bleeding gums.Blood thinners include antiplatelet medications, likeaspirin, Ticlid (ticlopidine), and Plavix (clopidogrel), and anticoagulants, like Jantoven (warfarin).

Because these medications interfere with the body’s ability to clot blood, taking them may result in bleeding gums, especially during some dental procedures.

Cleanings,extractions, dental surgery,implantplacement, and biopsies require special care when you take these medications.Talk to a dentist about your medications before undergoing any dental procedure.

How to Treat Bleeding Gums

You can often treat bleeding gums with healthy dental practices. Healthy dental habits can prevent plaque buildup and gum disease. In addition, they can treat the early stages of gingivitis.

Dental habits that promote healthy gums include:

If periodontitis causes your bleeding gums, you will need special treatment to address the damage from the disease. These treatments may include:

How to Stop Different Kinds of Bleeding

Are There Tests to Diagnose Bleeding Gums?

To determine what might be causing your bleeding gums, a healthcare provider may recommend the following:

The following situations may warrant a medical evaluation:

If aggressive toothbrushing or infrequent flossing cause bleeding gums, this should resolve in about a week. However, if your gums continue to bleed, even with gentler brushing and consistent flossing, you may want to make a dental appointment to check it out.

Summary

Many things can cause bleeding gums. The most common cause is poor dental hygiene and gingivitis. However, health conditions, medications, injury, and vitamin deficiencies can also cause it.

However, if your bleeding doesn’t have an apparent cause or is excessive, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with your dentist.

Learn MoreInterdental Papilla and Gingivitis

Bleeding gums aren’t always serious. Gums bleed from brushing too hard or flossing too little. But other times, bleeding gums can indicate more serious issues, like gum disease or other health conditions. In addition, if you take blood thinners, you are at greater risk of gum bleeding.Learn MoreWhat Is Dental Prophylaxis?

Bleeding gums aren’t always serious. Gums bleed from brushing too hard or flossing too little. But other times, bleeding gums can indicate more serious issues, like gum disease or other health conditions. In addition, if you take blood thinners, you are at greater risk of gum bleeding.

Learn MoreWhat Is Dental Prophylaxis?

Smoking is a cause of gum disease. Therefore, it can lead to bleeding gums. Smoking contributes to gum disease because smokers are more likely to develop bacteria on their teeth, which leads to gum disease.Learn MoreKeep a Healthy Smile Into Old Age

Smoking is a cause of gum disease. Therefore, it can lead to bleeding gums. Smoking contributes to gum disease because smokers are more likely to develop bacteria on their teeth, which leads to gum disease.

Learn MoreKeep a Healthy Smile Into Old Age

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The American Dental Association.Bleeding gums.MedlinePlus.Bleeding gums.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pregnancy and oral health.Tungare S, Paranjpe AG.Drug induced gingival overgrowth. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.American Academy of Oral Medicine.Blood thinners and dental care.American Dental Association.Gingivitis.American Dental Association (ADA) Division of Science.For the patient. Keeping your gums healthy.J Am Dent Assoc. 2015;146(4):A46. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2015.01.021American Dental Association.Periodontics.Oral Health Foundation.Smoking and oral health.

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The American Dental Association.Bleeding gums.MedlinePlus.Bleeding gums.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pregnancy and oral health.Tungare S, Paranjpe AG.Drug induced gingival overgrowth. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.American Academy of Oral Medicine.Blood thinners and dental care.American Dental Association.Gingivitis.American Dental Association (ADA) Division of Science.For the patient. Keeping your gums healthy.J Am Dent Assoc. 2015;146(4):A46. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2015.01.021American Dental Association.Periodontics.Oral Health Foundation.Smoking and oral health.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The American Dental Association.Bleeding gums.MedlinePlus.Bleeding gums.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pregnancy and oral health.Tungare S, Paranjpe AG.Drug induced gingival overgrowth. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.American Academy of Oral Medicine.Blood thinners and dental care.American Dental Association.Gingivitis.American Dental Association (ADA) Division of Science.For the patient. Keeping your gums healthy.J Am Dent Assoc. 2015;146(4):A46. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2015.01.021American Dental Association.Periodontics.Oral Health Foundation.Smoking and oral health.

The American Dental Association.Bleeding gums.

MedlinePlus.Bleeding gums.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pregnancy and oral health.

Tungare S, Paranjpe AG.Drug induced gingival overgrowth. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

American Academy of Oral Medicine.Blood thinners and dental care.

American Dental Association.Gingivitis.

American Dental Association (ADA) Division of Science.For the patient. Keeping your gums healthy.J Am Dent Assoc. 2015;146(4):A46. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2015.01.021

American Dental Association.Periodontics.

Oral Health Foundation.Smoking and oral health.

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