A bruise anywhere in the body, happens when tissue is injured and blood from the surrounding vessels leaks out. With no place to go, the blood gets trapped under the surface of the skin forming a purplish mark that’s often tender when touched. There are many ways a gum bruise might develop and although it can look quite alarming, most will resolve on their own and aren’t usually cause for concern. Any bruise that doesn’t show signs of healing within 2 weeks of appearing should be reviewed by your doctor or dentist.
Common Causes of Gum Bruising
Bruised gum is most caused by trauma to the tissue that surrounds the teeth. This can be dental trauma or trauma from outside of the dental field. The gum may also be swollen and can present in colour as anything from a slightly darker shade of pink to a more alarming red, brown, purple or even black colour. Try not to worry. Most gum bruising is harmless and like bruises elsewhere in the body, will be generally short-lived and resolve on its own within a week or two.
Here are some of the more common reasons you might find yourself with a bruised gum.
• Over-zealous tooth brushing. A new brush head, sharp bristles or an accidental slip of the hand can all result in tissue trauma that might leave the gums looking bruised. Remember to dry brush, this means don’t wet your brush before or after putting toothpaste on it. Use controlled circular movements, move slowly around your mouth and avoid vigorous scrubbing actions. Electric toothbrushes with light indicators can help to regular pressure and stop you from rushing.
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• Flossing. Flossing is an essential part of maintaining good oral health but it’s easy to traumatise the tissues if done incorrectly. Using a short piece of floss (around an inch length) with the extra floss tightly wrapped around your fingers will help you to better control the speed and angle at which the floss passes between your teeth. Try to always stay in contact with the tooth surface which will help to guide the floss down the interdental space and stop it from going off course and causing gum bruising.
• Accidents involving injuries to the mouth: Sports injuries, falling and hitting for face, taking a blow to the mouth or bumping into something and hitting your teeth can all result in trauma and bruising to the gums. Often these type of injuries happen without warning and are difficult to avoid. Always make sure you wear helmets, face shields and professionally made gum shields when playing contact sports.
• Eating: consuming sharp, crunchy or hard foods can result in trauma leading to gum bruising especially if eaten in a hurry or not chewed properly. Literally biting off more than you can chew can result in the molars not breaking the food down quickly enough and trauma may occur. This is more likely with dry food or if you suffer from a dry mouth as saliva helps to lubricate the tissues and soften food.
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• Bad Habits: The mouth is slippy. Chewing pens, biting nails, opening bottles with your teeth or habitual gum picking can all result in accidental trauma to the tissues resulting in gum bruising. Avoid putting anything sharp or hard in your mouth if it doesn’t belong there.
• Dental Trauma: Accidental trauma from dental work or apparatus used to retract the lips and cheeks during treatment may damage the tissues and cause a bruise. In addition, if you have braces, aligners, a retainer, a denture or another removable dental appliance that are ill-fitting, they might cause trauma resulting in bruising to the gums. If you feel that your dental appliance is moving, ask your dentist to look. There are treatments available to reline or tighten some appliances to improve the fit and prevent trauma.
• Amalgam Tattoo: When amalgam (metal) fillings are placed or removed, tiny particles of metal can escape leaking silver into the tissue and literally tattooing the gum. This is known as an amalgam tattoo. It is harmless but it’s blueish-grey colour can make it look very much like a permanent bruise on the gum. Amalgam tattoos can also appear inside the cheeks and on the lips, tongue or roof of the mouth.
• Gingivitis: Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums that is most commonly caused by inadequate oral hygiene. The inflammation can cause bleeding, swelling, and reddish-purple gums that look like bruising. Improving your oral hygiene efforts can help to eliminate gingivitis quickly. Seek advice from a dentist or dental hygienist if you suspect you may have gingivitis.
• Teething: In babies, small children and teenagers the process of teething can cause gum irritation or blood-filled eruption cysts that look like gum bruising. It is caused by the pressure of newly erupting teeth pushing against the gums. The result can be painful, red and swollen gums that might well appear bruised especially if your child chews heavily on teething aids. Try to use teething aids that aren’t too hard and stop your child from chewing on toys or anything hard that isn’t designed to help with teething. Cold foods can help to alleviate the symptoms of teething.
Some less common causes of gum bruising include:
• Blood disorders and underlying health conditions: although rare, blood disorders such as thrombocytopenia, HIV and other blood related disease can manifest as bruises on the gums and other parts of the oral cavity. If you have an underlying health condition that you think might be affecting your gums, speak to your dental or medical professional.
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• Melanoma: Oral melanoma is rare but can appear on gums, lips, cheeks, the floor of the mouth, the underside of the tongue and the soft palate. It usually presents as a black-brown patch with different shades of grey, red or purple. If you are worried about a patch that hasn’t resolved or has been present for longer than 2 weeks, contact your medical or dental professional as soon as possible. Home Remedies and First Aid for Bruised Gums
The treatment of bruised gums varies depending on the reason for the bruising. The following may help to alleviate symptoms but like with any other bruise, giving the tissues time to rest and recover naturally is the best course of action.If the bruising is because of trauma, avoid doing the thing that caused it in the first place. In addition, eat a soft diet, practice gentle oral hygiene, rinse with warm salt water if there is injury or use a cold (but not too cold) compress if there is swelling. Take pain relief if required.Be sure to maintain regular dental visits with your dentist or dental hygienist. Regular check-ups to monitor the health of your gums and address any concerns are imperative for maintaining dental health.
Preventing Gum Bruising
Your dental professional can also provide targeted recommendations for maintaining optimal oral hygiene and preventing gum bruising in future. They may recommend a short-term therapeutic mouthwash and will check your oral hygiene aids and give guidance on your techniques to avoid repeating the trauma.
For persistent symptoms that do not resolve on their own it is important that you see a dental professional quickly to have the lesion definitively diagnosed or to provide treatment that will prevent future trauma and gum bruising.
Guided Biofilm Therapy is one such treatment which focus’s heavily on prevention and achieving life-long oral health. Compared to more traditional methods of cleaning teeth which can be more aggressive and result in gum trauma and bruising, GBT’s gentle & minimally invasive approach uses warm airflow technology and soft erythritol based powder to gently and effectively remove deposits from the teeth without damage to the teeth, gums or restorations. During your GBT visit you will also receive bespoke oral hygiene instruction and diet/lifestyle advice aimed at achieving optimal oral health & preventing conditions like gum disease, dental decay and gum bruising.
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