Pain and bleeding gums

Question:

I am having pain and bleeding from a tooth.  Also, anything that I eat sticks between by teeth.  Do you have any advice or suggestions for medications?

Answer:

Based off of your description, it looks like you are suffering from pain from your gingiva (gums) and not your actual tooth.  However, please read our article on Toothaches to further assess the situation involving the actual tooth itself.

Usually, when food, bacteria, plaque, calculus, or anything else accumulates around our gums it causes an inflammatory response.  This means that the gums are sensitive, red, puffy, swollen, and bleed very easily.  It sounds like your gums are inflamed, thus causing the bleeding and pain.  This condition is called gingivitis.  A more advanced form of this ailment is called periodontitis if bone loss is involved.

So how can you treat this?  Well, your best bet is to visit your dentist for a thorough cleaning.  If severe, he/she may prescribe you antibiotics to help solve the problem.  However, here are some suggestions to help you with the situation now.

• Rinse with warm salt water to deal with the pain and sensitivity
• Use a mouthwash with chlorohexidine gluconate.  This is a mild antiseptic that is used to kill harmful bacteria in the mouth thus helping to eliminate plaque, calculus, and gingivitis.
• FLOSS EVERY DAY.  This is key to maintaining the health of your gums/gingiva.  Flossing eliminates the bacteria or food trapped under the gums.  This step is also very important for you being that food packs between your teeth.  In areas such as that, you must be sure to brush thoroughly and floss to remove all irritants.

Hope these tips help out and good luck,

SaveMySmile Team

What is Burning Mouth Syndrome?

What is Burning Mouth Syndrome?

Burning Mouth Syndrome is a condition in which the tongue and inside of the mouth experience a persistent burning, and sometimes painful, sensation.  This condition affects 2-3% of the general population and 14% of post menopausal women.

Signs of Burning Mouth Syndrome

Most symptoms appear spontaneously and usually start on the tip of the tongue.

Symptoms include:

• Burning sensation on tongue
• Burning sensation on inside of cheek
• Burning/pain has been reported to start in the morning and gradually increase as the day progresses
• Tongue may appear redder than normal, or smoother than normal.  This indicates an underlying infection is present
• Bitter/metallic taste in mouth

Causes/Related Factors of Burning Mouth Syndrome

• Most often unpredictable and not related to a specific cause
• The following are not causes, but have been linked to the condition:
  • Decreased saliva production
  • Chronic mouth breathing
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Candidiasis (fungal infection in the mouth)
  • Trauma to the mouth
  • Chronic tongue thrust habit
  • Allergy to medications
  • Vitamin B deficiency
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • AIDS
  • Depression
  • Diabetes
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Estrogen deficiency (thus the higher occurrence in post menopausal women)

Treatment for Burning Mouth Syndrome

• If the dentist can identify an underlying systemic condition (such as vitamin B deficiency or fungal infection, etc.), you can receive treatment for the primary condition and, as a result, burning mouth syndrome will resolve also
• If no cause can be identified, the following treatments may be used
  • Clonazapam
  • Vitamin B
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
  • Pain medications (aspirin, ibuprofen)
  • Antibiotics
  • Antifungals
  • Counseling
• Being that this condition has a high correlation with depression, anxiety, and stress, if means are taken to RELAX and create a stress-free, anxiety-free home/work environment symptoms will alleviate

Have more questions?  Feel free to leave a commit or submit a question to be included in our FAQ’s.