10 Effective Home Remedies For Bleeding Gums

Contrary to what most people believe, oral hygiene is not just restricted to taking care of your teeth. It also includes the mouth as well. Ignoring the mouth and only concentrating on the teeth can lead to problems, such as bad breath and bleeding gums. Bleeding gums, also known as ‘Gingivitis’, results from the inflammation of the gums around the teeth. When you do not clean your mouth adequately, it leads to the build-up of plaque, which eventually results in bleeding  gums.

Causes for Bleeding Gums:

Before we delve into the top 10 home remedies for bleeding gums, let us first take a quick look at the causes of bleeding gum. The most common and basic reason that results in bleeding gums is the ignorance of how to brush your teeth properly without flossing! Other reasons can include insufficient consumption of calcium and vitamins, eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. Some more serious diseases, such as liver and kidney related disorders, diabetes and leukemia also lead to bleeding gum.

Top 10 Home Remedies for Bleeding Gums:

A dentist chair can be a scary place to be. So, if you want to avoid going to the dentist, try these home remedies and smile your way through life:

1. Gargle with Salt Water:

Gargling and rinsing your mouth with salt water is one of the most common home remedies for bleeding gums. All you need to do is just add a spoonful of salt to a glass of warm water and gargle and rinse your mouth with it for about 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat this at least 3 to 4 times a day, especially after meals.

2. Apply Honey:

Honey has been known to have antiseptic as well as antibacterial properties. So, it can be quite effective to treat your gum problems. After you are done with brushing your teeth, take a bit of honey on your fingertips and apply it to the affected areas of your gums. But keep in mind that since honey is extremely rich in sugar, you should apply it only to your gums and not on your teeth because that may lead to tooth decay.

3. Use Baking Soda to Brush Your Teeth:

Make a paste by adding baking soda to warm water and use it to brush your teeth. This is useful because baking soda can prevent tooth decay as well as gum diseases, since it neutralizes the acids that are present in our mouth. More than a remedy this is one of the preventive measures for bleeding gum. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure’.

4. Use Tea Bags:

Many people believe that drinking tea can provide relief from bleeding gums. But that is not true. In fact, discoloration and staining of teeth occur due to excessive drinking of tea. But what you can do is use sufficiently warmed tea bags for curing your gum diseases. First of all, you need to put the tea bags in hot water for some time. Then, you need to let it cool for a while till it reaches a comfortable temperature. Then place the tea bags near the affected area of your gums and hold it there for about 5 minutes. This process works because the tannic acid that the tea bags contain is helpful for curing bleeding gums effectively.

5. Use Clove Oil:

Using clove oil is another effective home remedy for bleeding gums. There are two ways in which clove oil can be used as a remedy for bleeding gums. You can either rub the clove oil all along your gums or you can masticate on a piece of clove. This may lead to some amount of burning sensation inside your mouth. But that is simply an indication of the fact that the remedy is working effectively.

6. Brush with Cayenne Powder:

Cayenne is an effective antibacterial agent and can be used to kill the bacteria that cause gum bleeding. All you need to do is to put some cayenne powder on your brush. Brushing your teeth with cayenne powder may give a slight stinging feeling, but it is an extremely effective cure for bleeding gums.

7. Consuming Foods Rich in Vitamin C and D:

Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant and is known to help in tissue growth and bone regeneration. It is also useful for curing gum related problems. Vitamin D is famous for its anti-inflammatory qualities and is used for treating swollen gums. So, needless to say, eating foods, which have a high content of Vitamin C and D are good for treating bleeding gums.

8. Drinking Cranberry Juice:

One of the major causes of bleeding gums is that bacteria tend to stick to our teeth. Drinking cranberry juice has been known to be an effective way of dislodging these bacteria from the teeth. Drink at least 4 glasses of cranberry juice on a regular basis to get optimum results. But be sure to drink unsweetened cranberry juice, as too much sugar can negatively affect your teeth.

9. Use Lemon Paste:

Use lemon juice along with salt and make a paste out of it to apply to your teeth. Wash off after a few minutes by gargling and rinsing the mouth with warm water. This is an effective remedy because lemons have a lot of qualities that are conducive to treating bleeding gums. They are rich in vitamin C and are also anti-inflammatory.

10. Quit Tobacco:

Teeth and gum problems are majorly common among tobacco users. So, if you happen to be a tobacco user suffering from bleeding gums, then it is time for you to quit taking tobacco.

Apart from these top 10 home remedies, there are certain other points that should be kept in mind if you want to be free of bleeding gums. Research has shown that stress is also a reason for gum infection. Since stress weakens our immune system, it makes it more susceptible to invasion by various bacteria leading to gum problems. So, try and keep stress at bay as much as possible. Always remember to brush your teeth daily after meals. Visit your dentist at least twice a year to prevent all types of teeth and gum related problems.

Do not ignore bleeding gums. You cannot just wish away a problem like this. If these home remedies do not provide relief, go see your dentist. He is the best person to rule out any underlying health problems. And that dentist’s chair is a necessary evil–learn to deal with it!

Do you suffer from bleeding gums? What remedies have you tried to get relief? Do share with us in the comments section.