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We often ask our children to take care of their teeth and maintain oral hygiene in the best possible way. In fact, oral hygiene becomes a part of our child’s daily routine even way before he has sprouted his first tooth.
The main reason for this is because children start eating semi-solid foods as soon as they turn 6-months. Since they can’t bite the food, there are high chances that particles might get deposited in the inside of the gums. Hence the immediate requirement of oral hygiene comes into the picture.
Moving onto the next phase, when our children start brushing their teeth. Brushing is such an important routine of our lives, that we start talking about it to our little ones as soon as they turn one year of age. Also, that is just the right time to teach them about the various nuances of brushing.
One of the most common things which children face, yet many parents fail to identify the root cause is bleeding gums.
Many of us still feel that bleeding of gums is a very minute issue. But that is not always true. In some cases, it might be the cause of internal gum disease. One of the prime reasons for ignoring is because bleeding and inflammation of gums is something which adults get affected by. It is hardly seen in children. However, as parents, it is in the best interests of the child if we take corrective actions against these signs and get those gums back to their healthy selves.
Main causes of bleeding gums in kids:
1. Unhealthy diet
As parents, we are constantly on the lookout for healthy alternatives for our children, but in all this, they are also stuffing themselves with sweets and candies! How can we forget that? While we still make sure that they brush twice a day, but still there are chances of infection getting built up in the gums. The buildup of those sweet and starchy foods can lead to the formation of plaque which in turn can cause bleeding of the gums when a child brushes his teeth.
2. Not maintaining proper oral hygiene
Since children are eating through most part of the day, we need to take care that they rinse their mouth properly after every meal. This is basically to ensure that no food debris gets stuck. Sticking to the basic rule of twice a day brush and regular flossing is what kids need to do. If they are doing this and still bleeding of gums is a regular occurrence then it is time to visit the dentist.
3. Change in way of brushing or recently started flossing
You might have to check in once or twice to see if your child is brushing with a gentle hand and not very forcefully. Sometimes brushing too hard can cause the bleeding of gums as well. Also, if you have just hopped onto a flossing routine, that might be the number one reason for the bleeding. However, this generally subsides in about a weeks’ time.
4. Gum disease
Frequent gum bleeding despite maintaining all aspects of oral hygiene might be a sign of underlying gum disease. Gingivitis and periodontitis are two common types of gum disease in children that can cause bleeding.
We would advise a visit to the dentist if the bleeding doesn’t subside and continues for a long period of time.
