Why Do Gums Bleed When You Floss?

There are many different reasons your gums might bleed when flossing or brushing your teeth. Regardless of the cause, one of the best things you can do is see a dentist to make sure that if there are underlying issues, they are addressed promptly. Here are a few common causes: 

• Brushing/Flossing Technique: Putting too much pressure on the gums with floss or the bristles of a toothbrush can lead to bleeding. 
• Flossing Frequency: If you recently started increasing how often you floss based on a dentist’s recommendations you might notice bleeding at first. This is common and usually goes away after a few days. 
• Gum Disease (Gingivitis): One of the most common reasons your gums are bleeding is a gum disease like gingivitis. Gum disease can have a severe impact on your oral health if it is not treated. 
• Pregnancy Gingivitis: Pregnancy causes hormonal changes. Changing hormones has many effects on the body. For some women, they might notice bleeding around the gums caused by hormonal changes. This is because hormonal changes might make the gums more vulnerable. If this occurs, it is important to mention it to a dentist. Cleanings can help protect the teeth and gums from disease. 
• Diet: What we eat or don’t eat can greatly impact our health. For example not getting the right vitamins and minerals can lead to poor gum health. A famous example of this is scurvy, a gum health issue that was common among sailors centuries ago because of the lack of vitamins in their day to day diet. But while none of us really worry about scurvy these days, other gum diseases can be a higher risk if we do not get the right nutrients in our diet. 
• Smoking: Tobacco products can have a variety of negative impacts on your overall health. Because tobacco products are often smoked or chewed, they frequently cause problems for your teeth, gums, and mouth. Tobacco smoke or chewing tobacco can cause your gums to be more susceptible to disease and leads to bleeding gums.