AA OMAX Dental Clinic

20/01/2025

Alhamdulillah it’s Another Monday! Wishing our self a fantastic start to the week, filled with productivity, positivity, and prosperity! May today set the tone for a wonderful week ahead! Yah hayyu yah qayyum

12/10/2022

When Should You be Concerned about Bleeding Gums?
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Dr. Akshima Sahi, BDS
By Dr. Akshima Sahi, BDS
Reviewed by Dr. Liji Thomas, MD
Why are bleeding gums important?
Which medical conditions may cause bleeding gums?
Bleeding gums due to HIV infection
Anemia-related bleeding gums
Herpes infection
Stress-induced bleeding gums
Leukemia and gum cancer
Deficiency of Factor V
Which dental diseases can cause bleeding gums?
Gingivitis
Periodontitis
Bleeding gums during pregnancy
Other conditions
How are bleeding gums treated?
References

Why are bleeding gums important?
Understanding the primary cause of bleeding gums can help to treat and cure the condition.

Coarse brushing, trauma, injury, gingivitis, or initial stages of periodontal gum disease could cause bleeding gums. Some symptoms which are usually observed in such conditions include:

Persistent halitosis or bad mouth odor
Painful gingival ulceration (gum sores)
Excessive gingival pain or discomfort
Inflamed gums and oral mucosa
Dental sensitivity
Bleeding Gums

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Which medical conditions may cause bleeding gums?
Most of the time, it is challenging to recognize the exact cause of bleeding gums. However, underlying medical conditions should be ruled out. A list of various disorders requiring immediate medical treatment and whose manifestations could include bleeding gums include:

Bleeding gums due to HIV infection
HIV is a condition that results in serious infections due to a compromised immune system. This infection is transmitted via blood contact or having direct sexual contact with an HIV-positive individual or from an infected mother to the baby.

Various medical issues may arise following HIV infection. This includes dental problems such as bleeding gums and soreness in the oral cavity, including the tongue, lips, or mouth. However, this cause can be confirmed only by serologic testing.

Anemia-related bleeding gums
Anemia is a medical condition caused by the lack of red blood cells. One form of anemia is pernicious anemia, associated with Vitamin B12 malabsorption, which also causes bleeding from the gums.

Herpes infection

Are Genes Involved in Tooth Decay and Gum Disease?
Herpes simplex virus infection can cause severe pain, soreness of the oral mucosa, and bleeding from the gums if involved.

Stress-induced bleeding gums
Stress may result in gingival inflammation, making the gums more susceptible to trauma. Stress also induces an immunosuppressed state, encouraging bacterial infection and inhibiting normal coagulation processes.

Leukemia and gum cancer
Oral cancer usually manifests in painless eruptions on the surface of the gums, the inner parts of the cheeks, or the tongue, often associated with gum bleeding.

Leukemia can also cause bleeding from the gums, producing immature or non-functional leukocytes and platelet deficiency. Other characteristic signs and symptoms include enlargement of the spleen, liver, and lymph nodes.

Deficiency of Factor V
Factor V deficiency is a bleeding disorder with typical symptoms like bleeding gums, bleeding underneath the skin surface, frequent bruising, or nose bleeds.

Gum Disease

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Which dental diseases can cause bleeding gums?
Gingivitis
Gingivitis refers to inflammation of the gums and is associated with gum bleeding. However, this condition is treatable if diagnosed early. It is also preventable with proper oral hygiene. Risk factors for gingivitis should be ruled out. These include smoking, diabetes, periods of hormonal fluctuations, especially in females, and dry mouth.

Periodontitis
This condition can also cause bleeding gums and is one sequel of untreated gingivitis. This condition results in the loosening of the gum sockets around the teeth, which results in bleeding gums.

Bleeding gums during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a condition that is associated with hormonal fluctuations. Such hormonal changes may result in inflammation and sore gums. Good hygiene methods can prevent bleeding gums during this time. However, dental consultation is important to avoid complications if the condition flares up.

Other conditions
Some other conditions like deficiency of Vitamin C and Vitamin K can also cause bleeding gums. Gum trauma is one obvious cause of bleeding from the gums.

How are bleeding gums treated?
Understanding and eliminating the root cause of bleeding gums is fundamental to treatment. Appropriate dental treatment is mandatory if the gum bleeding is due to dental causes. However, if the root cause of bleeding gums is an underlying medical illness, this should be identified and treated.

Good oral hygiene methods will generally prevent the most typical causes of bleeding gums.

References:
Medlineplus.gov Bleeding gums. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003062.htm
Healthdirect.gov.au Gum disease. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/gum-disease
Mayoclinic.org Gingivitis. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gingivitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354453
Mayoclinic.org Periodontitis. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/periodontitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354473
www.nidcr.nih.gov Gum Disease. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/gum-disease/more-info
Healthdirect.gov.au Bleeding gums and dental bleeding. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/bleeding-gums-and-dental-bleeding
Further Reading
All Gum Disease Content

Akshima Sahi
Written by

Akshima Sahi
Akshima is a registered dentist and seasoned medical writer from Dharamshala, India. Akshima is actively involved in educating people about the importance of good dental health. She examines patients and lends free counseling sessions. Taking her passion for medical writing ahead, her aim is to educate the masses about the value of good oral health.

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07/08/2022

Flexible dentures are a type of partial denture, which are typically constructed of nylon, or other thin thermoplastics, which differ significantly from the thicker, harder acrylic that is often used in normal dentures. This helps make these types of dentures a lot more bendable and flexible, giving rise to their popular name.

As flexible dentures are made up of softer, more comfortable materials, people of all ages often prefer them over regular dentures. However, it is always best to consult with your dentist or denture technician with regards to which type of dentures will best suit you, your needs and requirements.

Losing your teeth can be difficult, but it doesn’t necessarily mean saying goodbye to your smile. There are a range of denture options to choose from, accommodating a variety of different people, teeth and mouth types. Flexible dentures are just one of the many types of denture available to you from our denture laboratory in Manchester.

Are Flexible Dentures Any Good?
As their name suggests, flexible dentures are made to adapt to the shape of your gums and teeth, literally ‘flexing’ into position when inserted. These dentures will not typically require any clasps to hold them in place, unlike various alternatives. They are therefore, a great option for people who struggle with the clasps in normal dentures, and the difficulties they may pose.

Some people may have irregularities in their mouth that make wearing normal dentures either difficult or impossible. Flexible dentures can be a great solution to this, able to adapt to the unique shapes and contours of a person’s mouth and palate much better than regular dentures are able to. Flexible dentures can also be good for those who are new to wearing any form of replacement teeth, as regular, harder dentures can sometimes prove to be rather uncomfortable to fully adjust to.

There are many reasons why using flexible dentures can be the right option for you. Your dentist or denture technician can offer advice on the type of dentures that would best suit you and can discuss the possibility of flexible dentures.

The Benefits of Flexible Dentures
There are countless different benefits that can come with wearing flexible dentures; principally, that flexible dentures can a be altogether, a more comfortable option than regular dentures, better adapting to the shape of your gums and teeth. These denture types also will usually not require clasps to hold them in place, making them even more comfortable to wear, and great for those with irregularities in the shape of their mouth.

Key benefits that come with wearing flexible dentures include:

They can look more natural – The material used in flexible dentures is clear, enabling the natural colour of the gum to show through. This can make them look more natural than coloured alternatives.

Quicker to make and fit – Flexible dentures are easier to make, meaning you won’t have to wait as long for your dentures to be ready, as may be the case with other types of dentures. Thus, they will be ready to be fitted sooner than any regular denture equivalents.

Less likely to break – Flexible dentures with soft bases are much less likely to break if they’re dropped compared to other, more rigid and brittle types of dentures. This means that once you have acquired and purchased the necessary flexible denture you need; you will be less likely to ned to order new ones for quite some time.

With these specialised dentures, studies have also found that patients find it easier to chew when wearing them compared to wearing traditional and harder alternatives. The flexibility of the dentures means they can also accommodate a variety of different people, including those who struggle to open their mouth wide, people who may be allergic to certain materials, as well as those with irregularities to the shape of their mouth.

Are There Any Disadvantages to Flexible Dentures?
Although flexible dentures can provide a multitude of different benefits, they can also come with a few disadvantages. One of the major disadvantages of these types of dentures is that they can be more prone than regular dentures to build-ups of plaque and bacteria, without a thorough, regular and proper cleaning routine.

Also, although flexible dentures are less likely to break compared to regular dentures, once broken they can prove to be beyond repair and so you would need to purchase a new set, rather than pay for repairs. In practice, this means that purchasing flexible dentures in the short term can be more expensive than regular dentures, even if they ‘pay for themselves’ in the medium and longer terms.

It is therefore important to take great care of your flexible dentures, preventing build-ups of bacteria and keeping them in good condition for as long as possible, much like you would with your own teeth.

How to Clean Flexible Dentures
The typical cleaning routine for flexible dentures includes soaking them in a denture cleanser solution and the brushing them to get rid of any dirt or build up. Once this has been done, the denture should be rinsed to clear off any broken-up dirt or residue from the cleaning solution. Your dentist or denture technician should always advise you on how to take care of your dentures.

07/08/2022

06/08/2022