Have you ever noticed that your toddler’s gums were bleeding? Your first reaction is probably to assume they have been physically hurt. But maybe they come to you in a panic about blood on their toothbrush or when biting an apple. There are several reasons that a child can have bleeding gums beside trauma, and not all of them are good. Some of the reasons will require an appointment with your pediatric dentist to do a routine exam and treatment. Make sure that if you have any concern about your child’s oral health you talk to your pediatric dentist as soon as possible. Bad oral hygiene as a child can lead to bad oral hygiene as an adult too.
Smile Reef List Reasons Your Child Could Have Bleeding Gums
Periodontal Disease in Children: The reason that a child can have bleeding gums can be due to gum disease. This is an issue that must be addressed by a pediatric dentist as soon as possible to find a treatment that can reverse the effects. If you notice that your child has swollen or red gums that tend to bleed when they are bumped they could have gum disease. The reason is due to lack of correct oral hygiene or buildup of plaque on their teeth. These are both major causes of gum disease and need to be addressed as soon as possible.
Toothbrush with Hard Bristles: If your child is using a new toothbrush and the bristles are hard, it could be causing the gums to bleed. When you go to purchase a new toothbrush, you want to look at the bristle strength that usually is soft, medium or hard. When it is a young child you want to purchase soft bristles since children are sometimes too rough when brushing. The hard bristles can be too much and could cause their sensitive gums to bleed. The soft bristles will clean just as well as the harder ones. Be sure that you get your child a new toothbrush at least once every six months and more often if necessary.
Starting Flossing: When you child is very small and still getting some of their baby teeth in they probably do not floss on a regular basis. When all their teeth or many of their teeth are in you probably start them flossing. When they floss the impact of the floss can jar the gums and cause them to bleed. Gums can be sensitive to flossing until you get used to it. The best thing to do is to continue a good flossing routine and the bleeding will lessen and eventually stop.
Taking Medication: If you have a child that is taking good care of their teeth, brushing and flossing appropriately without any bleeding gums and then all of a sudden their gums are bleeding; there may be another reason. If you have just starting giving your child a new medication, the side effects could be swollen gums. If that is the case the gums could be over sensitive and that could be the culprit. Once the medication is done the bleeding should stop.
Expert Children’s Dentistry
Smile Reef offers pediatric dental exams, care and treatment for gum disease and other dental issues. Call our office today.
