Gum health
Bleeding gums in Greenwich, CT: healthy gums do not bleed
Bleeding when you brush is not a sign that you are brushing too hard. It is inflammation, and at this stage it can be reversed completely with the right care.
How urgent is it?
Within a few days
Not painful, yet one of the most worthwhile visits described on this page. Early gum inflammation is fully reversible; the bone loss that can follow is not.
Opening hours
Mon–Tue 8a–7p · Wed–Thu 8a–5p · Fri 9a–2p
What this usually means
The causes we see most often
01
Plaque left along the gum line
The most common cause by a wide margin. Bleeding often means one specific area is being missed, not that you brush poorly overall.
02
Hardened deposits below the gum
Once plaque calcifies, brushing cannot reach it, and the gum stays inflamed no matter how careful you are at home.
03
Hormonal changes
Pregnancy in particular makes gums bleed more readily at the same amount of plaque, which is one reason cleanings matter even more during that time.
04
Medications and general health
Blood thinners, some blood pressure medications, and poorly controlled diabetes can all change how the gums respond.
What to do right now
Before you get here
- 01
Do not stop cleaning the area that bleeds. Almost everyone's instinct is to avoid it, and avoiding it is exactly what keeps it inflamed.
- 02
Clean between the teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes. A toothbrush alone does not reach where the bleeding usually starts.
- 03
Give it two consistent weeks of careful cleaning. Gingivitis often settles in that time, and if it does not, that itself is useful information for us.
- 04
Tell us about any medication changes and any bleeding elsewhere in your body.
What we would do
At the appointment
We measure the pockets around each tooth and record them, so there is a real baseline to compare against rather than a general impression.
If it is gingivitis, a thorough cleaning plus a specific technique for the areas being missed usually resolves it. We show you exactly where, on your own mouth.
If the pockets are deeper and bone has already been lost, that is periodontitis, and it needs deep cleaning under the gum, followed by a maintenance schedule that suits you rather than a default every six months.
Q & A
What patients ask us about this
Healthy gums tolerate firm brushing without bleeding. Bleeding means inflammation. Hard brushing does cause its own damage, such as recession and notching, but not this.
No. Bleeding when flossing is actually the reason to keep going, gently and daily. Most people find it stops within a couple of weeks.
Gingivitis, entirely. Once bone has already been lost, the goal shifts to stopping it there and keeping the teeth, which is very achievable, though the lost support itself does not grow back.
Where we are
211 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 2-6, Cos Cob
Minutes from central Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue, with parking at the building.
Patients travel to us from
Describe it in your own words when you call. We will tell you whether it needs us today.