I believe many people have had this experience: when brushing your teeth in the morning, there are always some red streaks in the white toothpaste foam. When biting into an apple, there may even be bloodstains left behind. In daily life, you may feel that there is persistent bad breath in your mouth that cannot be eliminated, and even people around you may wrinkle their noses at the smell from your mouth. This affects your confidence and social interactions.
Bleeding gums and bad breath are the most direct signs of gingivitis. If accompanied by loose teeth, it has already progressed to the stage of periodontal disease. Let's first take a look at the reasons for gum bleeding:
The most common reason for bleeding while brushing is having periodontal disease. When suffering from gingival/periodontal disease, the gums swell, and numerous new blood vessels become engorged with blood, increasing permeability. Once stimulated by brushing or chewing, the gums will bleed. When having periodontitis, the capillaries are engorged and fragile, easily bleeding upon contact or sucking, but generally, the bleeding stops on its own.
Some people believe that gum bleeding is related to a lack of vitamin C, which is not necessarily true. Scientific research shows that there is no clear relationship between the severity of periodontitis and the concentration of vitamin C in the blood. Simply supplementing vitamin C does not improve the condition of periodontitis patients, especially since they usually consume a balanced diet.
Therefore, the fundamental treatment for periodontitis is thoroughly removing dental plaque and tartar, along with orthodontic treatments. At the same time, maintaining good oral hygiene is essential. Regular brushing can only remove plaque from the surface of the teeth; more harmful substances (soft deposits, food residues, harmful bacteria) remain lodged in the gaps between teeth, where a toothbrush cannot reach. Lingual braces can help address these issues.
For cleaning between the teeth and hidden areas, traditionally, Chinese people prefer using toothpicks, while Westerners favor dental floss. No dentist would encourage their patients to use toothpicks because the damage caused by toothpicks is obvious: they harm the enamel and widen the gaps between teeth. Although dental floss is safer than toothpicks, it still involves hard objects contacting the teeth, causing some degree of damage. Moreover, the cleaning effectiveness of toothpicks and floss is limited.
Nowadays, in developed countries in Europe and America, scientifically designed and convenient oral care tools are widely used, such as dental floss, electric toothbrushes, and water flossers. These tools provide excellent results. However, none of them can replace professional dental examinations and maintenance. Both regular self-care for oral hygiene and periodic dental check-ups are necessary.