Constant bleeding gums! Help!?

Question

I'm 22 and haven't been able to go to a dentist since I was 16 due to lack of dental insurance. I brush regularly and also floss but I haven't had my wisdom teeth pulled out (I believe almost all 4 are almost completely grown in or partly) and it seems as though my gums are receding very badly in the front. The past year I haven't been able to brush w/o my gums bleeding at least a little bit and sometimes they will bleed for no reason. I'm very worried about my teeth and what will happen to them, I even have dreams that they are falling out! I'm curious what I should do about my problem or what may be happening to me.

Answer 1

If there is a dental school in your area, try going there for dental treatment. Their fees are usually half of what a private dentist charges.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Constant Bleeding Gums

Answer 3

Sounds like you have gum disease. Where harden plaque at the gum line is irritating your gums and causing them to bleed, swell, or receed. Brushing and flossing is great but a professional cleaning can get down to where they can't reach. Nothing on the market effectively removes this hard plaque/tartar. A sign of gum disease is bleeding, healthy gums shouldn't bleed. Use a soft bristle brush and rinse with warm salt water. If it progresses, it can lead to bone loss and then eventually tooth loss. You prob need a deep cleaning and a rinse. There are a lot of effective treatments that you doctor can give to control or stop its progression. But the longer you wait, the problem will prob get worse. Best to see a dentist soon.
Find a dental college in your area. It's hard to book an appt. over the internet so get their number and walk in or call. We use to sit there all day to wait for a slot to open if they said there wasn't any appts. Usually someone cancels. The work is the same as any dental office. The prices are very low and sometimes negotiable. I've had extractions done for free and other work very low priced. Or you can look for credit cards specially for dental work. It's low long term interest rates. Some dental offices offer them too. Or ask if you can do payments. Or ask if paying cash can lower the payments. I've done this and got a couple hundred knocked off. Or ask if they give discounts to college students. My sister did this and got 10% off and she just thought she'd ask. Or you can look for dental plans. Mines cost about $18 a month but some are as low as $11. Check dentalplans.com, bluecross.com, kaiser.com. Or if you have medical insurance, good to check if they also offer dental. Good luck!

Answer 4

Everyone has said use a soft tooth brush and given you advice on the technique along with stressing the use of floss...all of these are correct.

The one thing not mentioned is the fact that it has been "so long" since you’re last cleaning that you probably have calculus and tartar built up under the gum line which you can't brush or floss away.

It will take a professional cleaning to remove this. This build up retains bacteria and plaque well, which is rough to the tissue that rest against it. This along with the bacteria is what is causing the tissue to bleed easily when brushed or flossed.

This is the main cause of the tissue irritation and what is commonly know as gingivitis, the initial phase of periodontal disease that when left untreated will lead to recession, perio pockets, sensitivity, bone loss, tooth mobility and eventually tooth loss.

It is expensive to see the dentist without any insurance, but it is much more costly and painful not to see one. If it's possible call the dental office you saw last and see if they can see you and set up a payment plan. Most offices will do this after you are an established patient.

I hope I've been of some help and that you will seek treatment as soon as possible. You are awfully young to be having this trouble, take care of it before it becomes too serious. You only have this one set of teeth, take care of them for your lifetime. Good luck!

Answer 5

It sounds as if you have gingivitis which is the earliest sign of periodontal disease. Since you've noticed it early on you can do things to slow it down. LISTERINE is your best friend i know the original tastes nasty the best one in my opinion is the vanilla mint...sounds weird but actually tastes good and doesn't burn. Also rinse with warm salt water, get a sonicare toothbrush...it costs a bit, $60-$100 but well worth it, even if you just buy one of those cheap little electric tooth brushes (i believe its crest that has one for about $6) they will do a better job than manually. Also it might sound a little childish but you can buy disclosing tablets/mouth rinses which will show where you've miss plaque, which turns into calculus/tartar within 24 hours if it's left on your teeth which gets under your gums and the more that it builds up the more your gums will recede. Also make sure you brush 3 - 5 minutes every time you brush which should be 2 - 3 times a day, if for some reason you can't brush that many times at least brush before you go to bed because the saliva in your mouth stops producing as much causing bacteria to form causing tooth decay, and all that lovely stuff while you are sleeping. Floss at least once a day if at all possible (i did work for a dentist who said that he rarely flosses, about once a week, but he uses the sonicare tooth brush and the slight bleeding he had went away really fast) Also go to a dentist as soon as you can and get a check up and cleaning its not as expensive as you might think considering the cost of having teeth extracted, and getting dentures which is NOT recommended dentures are a pain and implants cost a small fortune....about 2,000 for one implant. Also you can occasionally find coupons in the mail/online for a free, or really low cost, check up or cleaning (you need to get a cleaning every six months, unless your teeth and gums are really bad then they sometimes recommend every three months) Also if you have a lot of work that needs to be done they have what amounts to a credit program for the dentist and some of them don't have any interest or very minimal. I didn't go to the dentist for a long time and i was honestly amazed at how little work i really did need, so you never know. If you don't have a dentist already try 1-800-dentists i had an insane tooth ache and ended up calling them and they got me into a great dentist the next day, and at the time i had intense apprehension about going to a dentist because of a bad experience when i was a child, if you are scared of the dentist like many people are just tell them that you need a dentist that is good with nervous/scared patients also remember a dentist wont tell you that you're going to die like a medical doctor will, and not as many dentists are horrible like the stereotypical dentists stories are, a lot of things have changed over the years, no more nasty spitoon (gosh i cant remember the name for it) they just suck the saliva/blood out with pretty much a tiny vacuum! :D

Answer 6

Greetings.
Yes You do have Peridontal disease.
You do need to see a Dr. about your wisdom teeth to be removed. Or a dentist at your local Public clinic.
You need to brush with enough toothpaste, for as long as it takes to sing Happy birthday.
Use Peroxide about 1 cap full in 1/2 glass of water. This will aid healing and remove bacteria.
I found a web site for a Natural Product. that may help you as an alternative to your gum treatment but not your wisdom teeth so much it's below.
good Luck

Answer 7

I think you have gingivitis or gum disease which is causing your gums to bleed and recede. Although you brush and floss regularly, plaque still builds up deep between your teeth, which is usually removed during regular dental checkups. As you haven't been to the dentist since you were 16, the plaque probably built up between your teeth and has been eroding the bones of your teeth as well as destroying your gum tissues.

California Dental Association:

"Common in adults, gum disease starts when bacteria containing plaque builds up on the teeth and gums. When the plaque is not removed daily, it produces toxins that irritate and inflame the gums. Eventually the inflammatory process destroys the gum tissues, causing them to separate from the tooth and form spaces called pockets. The pockets hold more bacteria, which only compounds the problem.

In the early stages, gum disease (gingivitis), marked by red or swollen gums that bleed easily, is reversible and can be detected and treated by your dentist or dental hygienist during regular check-ups. As the disease progresses (periodontitis), it can destroy the bone and soft tissues that support the teeth. In advanced stages of periodontitis, teeth can become loose, fall out or have to be removed by a dentist. In fact, periodontitis is the culprit in 70 percent of tooth loss in adults over 40.

The good news is these gum conditions can be prevented by good daily oral hygiene habits. Receding gums are best prevented by brushing with a soft toothbrush, using mild-to-moderate pressure and small circular or very short back and forth motions. Avoid hard toothbrush bristles and long horizontal brush strokes with excessive pressure on your toothbrush.

If your gums have receded, it is sometimes possible to graft tissue to cover a portion of the exposed root surface and to reinforce the fragile, receding gum tissue to protect from further recession. Also common to receded gums is sensitivity that results from the exposed root surface. Your dentist can apply medications in the office, and /or recommend products for you to use at home that will help reduce sensitivity of these root surfaces and help protect the now vulnerable root surface from decay."

Answer 8

It sounds like you really do need to see a dentist. One thing you could do is find a University in your area that has a dental school. They often hold office hours to allow their student Resident Dentists to get practice on people who have little or no money. A friend of one of my boyfriends a long time ago did his dentistry internship this way and found it to be very rewarding.

If you have medical insurance, you might ask your GP about it and explain your lack of dental insurance. He might be able to help.

Good luck!

Answer 9

you can brush and floss all you want but, it won't matter unless you have regular dental check ups. the constant bleeding is a sign that something is very wrong.probably gum disease. i suggest you find a dentist and make payment arrangements unless you don't like having teeth.

Answer 10

You are going to have to find the money to go to the dentist and get a check up. there are many gum diseases that will make your gums bleed and can lead to tooth decay and tooth loss. I can tell you from personal experience that not getting your wisdom teeth out if they are growing in and crowding out your other teeth, can lead to your teeth becoming weak and easily broken. I will need false teeth because my teeth are broken off at the gum line in many places. It is not attractive nor very healthy. SO, please find a way to take care of your teeth before you dont have any, like me!