Bleeding Gums Are More Than a Nuisance

Some people complain about a little gum bleeding and just believe it is just a minor annoyance. However, any time you experience bleeding gums, you should be on the alert, as they indicate gum disease development.

Bleeding Gums and Their Meaning

If your gums bleed when you brush, you need to visit us to obtain a comprehensive periodontal evaluation or CPE. In the early stage of gum disease, gums will bleed, and in the later stages of the disease, the gums will bleed. Therefore, we need to know the extent of the problem so we can treat it. By performing a CPE, we can do just that.

What Happens During a Cpe?

To learn how a CPE works, you need to understand something about gingival pocket depth. During a CPE, we use a probe that measures the depth of gingival pockets, from the gum margin to the gum tissue’s epithelial attachment. If the gum is unhealthy, it will measure over 3mm in the pocket. However, if the gum is healthy, the pocket depth is normally the standard 3mm. The deeper the depth, the more advanced the disease. This measure is used to diagnose gum disease and see how far it has progressed. As noted, gums will bleed at all stages of gum disease, so we need to know the pocket depth to determine a prognosis.

Treating Bleeding Gums

If you are in the first stages of gum disease, we can help you reverse the disease by performing a scaling and root planing, or SRP. We will remove the bacteria below the gum line during this deep cleaning procedure to prevent further bleeding. You also need to brush at least twice a day and floss daily to prevent future problems with bleeding and gum disease. If the bleeding results from a more advanced form of gum disease, we may have to perform pocket reduction surgery and/or a regenerative procedure to reattach the gums to the bone.

Do you have gum bleeding? If so, do not take the condition lightly. Contact us today to book an appointment for a CPE.