Imagine that you were bathing,using your loofah bath sponge and your skin started to bleed.You would probably panic ,thinking that you have succumbed to Ebola or one of those hemorrhagic fevers.Next stop for you would be the hospital emergency room.
Here is another scenario, imagine you went to a physician and they did urine tests and informed you,”Well!, we see a little blood in your urine, but it’s just a little……. let’s ignore it!”….huh!Are you kidding me? You would definitely seek a second opinion…and probably admit yourself into a hospital.
But what about bleeding gums?How come people ignore bleeding gums?
Some people experience bleeding gums while brushing and for a few it even occurs spontaneously,that is,without any disturbance from food or a tooth brush.Normal gums do not bleed while brushing just as the skin doesn’t bleed when bathing.They were both designed tough to stop microbes from invading the blood stream.Therefore one ought to be alarmed by a breach in the integrity of the gum or skin.
Why should we be bothered by such a painless and not so frequent occurrence?
Bleeding gums are a symptom of gum disease called gingivitis and in its worst stages it’s very destructive ,usually referred to as Periodontitis, It’s estimated that over 75% percent of any population will have some form of gum disease in life.This eventually leads to tooth loss as one ages.A life without teeth leads to early ageing,poor nutrition and low self esteem.
It’s better to take care of what we already have by brushing at least twice a day,flossing between teeth daily,and seeing your dentist at least once or twice a year for scaling and polishing of the teeth to keep away the plaque which causes the bleeding gums.
Here is an illustration of what happens when we ignore bleeding gums.You can use it to gauge where you are regarding the health of your gums.