Bleeding Gums When Brushing: What It Means
For anyone whose gums bleed when they brush or floss: why it happens, why to keep brushing, what to do, how smoking and blood thinners affect it, and when to get urgent help. Bleeding on brushing usually means plaque-related gum inflammation, not injury, so UK guidance says keep brushing, and the NHS advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush.
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Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, GDC 301711, a General Dental Practitioner and the principal dentist at Deepcar Dental Care, reviewed this page. His qualifications are BDS, BSc (Hons), MSc (Leeds), PG Dip Implant Dentistry and PG Cert Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry.
Why do gums bleed when you brush?
Gums usually bleed when you brush because plaque along the gum line has inflamed them, not because the brush has damaged them.
Delivering Better Oral Health, the UK prevention toolkit, describes plaque as a bacterial film (biofilm) and states that early gum inflammation (gingivitis) is reversible by reducing plaque. Our gum disease page explains how gum disease develops. If your gums bleed when you brush or eat hard foods, the NHS advises seeing a dentist.
How is gum bleeding checked?
The basic periodontal examination (BPE), a screening check in UK guidance, records gum (gingival) bleeding. Delivering Better Oral Health gives code 1 for bleeding on probing and code 0 for healthy gums without it.
At Deepcar Dental Care, BPE screening is carried out at every examination.
Should you stop brushing if your gums bleed?
No: UK guidance says to keep brushing gums that bleed, because stopping lets plaque build up and makes the inflammation worse.
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals gum disease leaflet explains that inflamed gums may bleed when first cleaned properly because of the inflammation, not damage from cleaning, and that the bleeding reduces if you persist. The Oral Health Foundation advises brushing even when gums bleed, with a softer brush while they are inflamed. The NHS still advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush.
How can you help stop your gums bleeding?
Start this week by brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, angling the bristles to the gum line and cleaning between your teeth every day.
The NHS advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush. NHS and Leeds Teaching Hospitals guidance gives these steps:
- Brush for about 2 minutes, last thing at night and at one other time, then spit out the toothpaste rather than rinsing.
- Use a soft or medium brush and angle the bristles towards the gum to clean along and below the gum line, moving a manual brush in small back-and-forward strokes over 2 or 3 teeth at a time.
- Clean between your teeth every day. Interdental brushes are usually the most effective; curve floss into a C-shape and slide it gently up and down each tooth.
- Do not use mouthwash straight after brushing, and do not smoke.
When should bleeding gums stop?
Gums should stop bleeding after a few days of thorough cleaning, the Oral Health Foundation says, and bleeding that continues needs a dental team's advice.
Recovery can take longer: in a 2022 trial of 117 healthy adults who paused cleaning for two weeks, gum bleeding and inflammation scores had not fully returned to their starting levels two weeks after normal cleaning resumed. The NHS advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush.
To ask about bleeding gums, book online or call 0114 288 2121.
Why might smokers' gums not bleed?
Smoking can hide gum disease by reducing bleeding, so gums that rarely bleed in a smoker are not proof that they are healthy.
The Oral Health Foundation explains that smoking can cover up a gum problem by restricting blood flow to the mouth. A 2004 analysis of a US national health survey of more than 12,000 people found that smoking strongly suppressed gum bleeding on probing, most of all in heavier smokers.
The NHS advises regular dental check-ups even if you do not have any problems. Smoking cessation advice is available at the practice.
Can medicines make your gums bleed?
Blood-thinning medicines (anticoagulants) can make gums bleed, and the NHS apixaban and rivaroxaban pages say to keep taking the medicine unless advised to stop.
Both pages list bleeding gums when you brush among the most common side effects, and advise speaking to a pharmacist or doctor if a side effect bothers you or does not go away.
If you take an anticoagulant and notice any severe or recurrent bleeding, or cannot stop any bleeding, NHS guidance says to seek medical attention immediately: call 111 or go to A&E. The NHS advice to see a dentist about gums that bleed when you brush applies either way.
When does bleeding on brushing need urgent help?
Get urgent dental help when bleeding comes with very sore, swollen gums or loose teeth, and emergency help if swelling affects breathing, swallowing or speaking.
If you do not have a dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment, call 111 or visit 111 online. NHS guidance gives these actions for gum symptoms, toothache and swelling:
- Gum disease with very sore and swollen gums, teeth becoming loose or falling out, ulcers or red patches in your mouth, or a lump in your mouth or on your lip: ask for an urgent dentist appointment.
- Gums that are painful and swollen: see a dentist.
- Toothache that lasts more than 2 days, does not go away with painkillers, or comes with a high temperature, pain when you bite, red gums, a bad taste or a swollen cheek or jaw: see a dentist.
- Swelling around your eye or neck, or swelling in your mouth or neck that makes it difficult to breathe, swallow or speak: go to A&E or call 999 for an ambulance, and do not drive yourself.
This page covers chronic bleeding when you brush or floss. Bleeding after an injury, a blow to the mouth or an extraction is an acute problem, and our page on acute and injury-related gum bleeding explains it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for gums to bleed when you floss?
Bleeding when you floss usually means the gums between your teeth are inflamed, and it is not a reason to stop. The NHS says regular flossing may reduce gum disease and advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush or eat hard foods.
Why do my gums bleed when they do not hurt?
Gum disease often causes no pain, so bleeding may be the first sign you notice. The Leeds Teaching Hospitals leaflet says you can be unaware of active gum disease for many years. The NHS advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush.
Can a vitamin deficiency cause bleeding gums?
Yes, but rarely: scurvy, a long-term lack of vitamin C, can cause swollen, bleeding gums. If you have them and are at risk, for example after a while without fresh fruit or vegetables, the NHS advises an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111. It also advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush.
Why have my gums started bleeding since I stopped smoking?
Gums can start to bleed after you stop smoking as their circulation may improve, the Oral Health Foundation explains. Stopping is still worthwhile, as Delivering Better Oral Health says quitting tobacco can prevent further deterioration of gum health. The NHS advises seeing a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush or eat hard foods.
Do you need to register as a patient to book a hygiene appointment?
No, you do not need to register as a patient to book a hygiene appointment at Deepcar Dental Care. These appointments are with our dental therapist, and hygiene appointments can be booked online through the booking portal. Each appointment lasts 30 to 60 minutes.
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You can contact the practice through the online booking portal or on 0114 288 2121.
Deepcar Dental Care is at 334 Manchester Road, Deepcar, Sheffield, S36 2RH, with free parking directly outside. The practice is on the ground floor and wheelchair accessible, and patients describe their visits in our patient reviews.
334 Manchester Road
Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH
0114 288 2121
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