Cause:

The main cause for bleeding gums in otherwise healthy individuals is plaque. Plaque is just a fancy word for bacteria nyingi ambazo zinaishi pamoja. What these bacteria do is they feed on the left over pieces of food that are left over in your mouth and are able to produce a sticky substance that allows them to attach themselves to the teeth. Plaque continues to accumulate and as it does so it produces more and more bacteria products that include irritants and toxins. When plaque is around the gum line these irritants get in contact with the gum and the gum gets swollen and bleeds.

Solution:
Mechanical removal of the plaque around the gum line. If you touch the inside parts of your lower teeth with your tongue, you will likely notice that the tooth is smoother towards the top but as you go down towards the gum line it gets a little rougher. This is because when you brush you do a much better job of cleaning the top but not as good a job of cleaning that area next to the gum. The roughness you feel next to the gum line is the plaque. The way to ensure you remove this plaque is that every time you brush try to get the toothbrush to have half the toothbrush on the gum and half on the tooth and brush in circles. What you will be doing is that you will be cleaning out that junction where the tooth and the gum meet. You will know you have done a good job when the tooth is equally smooth from top to bottom.

If you already have bleeding gums you will notice that your gums will bleed profusely when you do this for the first time. Do not be alarmed. The gums are bleeding not because you brushed them but because they are wounded from all the accumulation of plaque. By removing the plaque you will be removing the irritant and this will allow them to heal. When you get the bleeding after brushing rinse with salty water or a mouthwash and let it stay in contact with the gums as you force it between the teeth and the gums for at least a minute or two. Do not eat or rinse with water for at least 30 minutes after you have done this because the salt or mouthwash continues to act for that long. Repeat this two times a day with the most important time being the last thing before you go to bed. If you can only do this once a day let it be the last thing before you go to bed. You should start to notice an improvement. Day 1 the bleeding will be a lot, it is less on day 2, 3 , 4 etc so that by day 5 or 7 there should be very little to no bleeding.

This should allow you to go to the next level of taking care of your gums which is to make sure that they are healthy all around each of your teeth. Each tooth is surrounded by gum on the side of the cheek the side of the tongue and the two sides between the tooth and the other in front of it or behind it. By just brushing you can only reach the gum and tooth on the side of the cheek and the side of the tongue but you cannot reach the area in between. The only way to reach this area effectively is to floss. A dental floss is a strengthened string that will allow you to clean these areas. Floss before you brush so that when you brush the toothpaste can get into those areas and flush off any debris. After brushing, use the mouthwash or salty water as explained above. Make this your regular home care for your teeth and gums. Floss, Brush, Mouthwash/Salt rinse.

Now that you have the proper habits of brushing it is time to go to a dentist and get professional cleaning. The reason you need this is because over time we all get an accumulation of something called Calculus or Tartar in some areas of the mouth especially around the lower front teeth. This tartar is too hard and you cannot remove it with the brush and can only be removed by a dentist with some specialised instruments. Different people need professional cleaning at different intervals. It is recommended to have it done twice a year, some people may need it every 3 months others every 12 months but the decision should be made by your dentist when they examine you.

Good Luck.

PS:
BLEEDING GUMS NEED TO BE BRUSHED MORE, NOT AVOIDED WHEN BRUSHING.

THE PLAQUE NEEDS TO BE MECHANICALLY REMOVED WITH A BRUSH OR FLOSS. USE A MOUTHWASH ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE MECHANICALLY REMOVED PLAQUE. THE STICKY SUBSTANCE THAT HOLDS PLAQUE TOGETHER ALSO KEEPS THE MOUTHWASH FROM PENETRATING IT SO THAT USE OF MOUTHWASH ALONE IN THE ABSENCE OF BRUSHING AND FLOSSING IS INEFFECTIVE.

FLOSS, BRUSH, RINSE THE LAST THING BEFORE YOU GO TO BED.

Kusadikika....

Thanks for the infor,,,,, I now know how to avoid plaque

>> Whoa, @kusadikika, thanks. I'll use the program and post the results here.



it was getting uncomfortable to see blood marks on every bite...bread, chapati et al.

The causes of bleeding gums may range from a vitamin deficiency (scurvy] to a severe infection of the gums (periodontitis]. As @My 2 Cents said, make an appointment with the dentist. It will save you a lot of grief in the end.

I second jguru.... if you get bleeding gums when eating, then it may be more serious than just plaque... see a dentist but as you await your appointment, do as Nobel Prize winner Dr. Kusadikika advises...

Thanks Kusadikika and all for the contributions - I can totally relate...

@kenmac, I used to be in exactly the same situation as you're in, bite a fruit e.g. apple, pear, even a banana, and I 'd see blood stains on the fruit, even pressing against the back of the gum around my incisors would result in the same! I was young and thought the problem would go away and it did...but it was then followed by the tartar, I can't remember it being plaque before hardening to tartar.

I now brush my teeth religiously using the prescribed method, well...without the floss and all, but I know I still have to go to the dentist to have the tartar removed.

Do the teeth become sensitive after removal of the tartar?I hate to sound like a baby but after having 2 molars removed when I was young, I have a great phobia for dentists - I literally sweat!

@Kusadikika...and no offence intended to anyone (my apologies). Have been thinking for some time about the fact that HIV cant be transmitted through kissing or saliva. Did the researchers take into account bleeding gums during the act of kissing?