Bleeding on probing

There are many possible causes of gingival bleeding. The main cause of gingival bleeding is the formation and accumulation of plaque at the gum line due to improper brushing and flossing of teeth. The hardened form of plaque is calculus. An advanced form of gingivitis as a result of formation of plaque is periodontitis. Other conditions associated with gingival bleeding include:[https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003062.htm MedlinePlus: Bleeding gums] URL assessed on November 21, 2009

• Tooth or gum infection
• Diabetes mellitusCharles R. Craig, Robert E. Stitzel (2004) In [https://books.google.com/books?id=KjZXU1ndoQIC&q=In+most+instances Modern Pharmacology with clinical applications (Edition 6)]. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 506. {{ISBN|0-7817-3762-1}}. Google Book Search. Retrieved on November 21, 2009.
• Hypertension{{Cite journal|last1=Pietropaoli|first1=Davide|last2=Del Pinto|first2=Rita|last3=Ferri|first3=Claudio|last4=Marzo|first4=Giuseppe|last5=Giannoni|first5=Mario|last6=Ortu|first6=Eleonora|last7=Monaco|first7=Annalisa|title=Association between periodontal inflammation and hypertension using periodontal inflamed surface area and bleeding on probing|journal=Journal of Clinical Periodontology|volume=47|issue=2|pages=160–172|doi=10.1111/jcpe.13216|issn=1600-051X|pmid=31680283|year=2020|s2cid=207894277 }}{{Cite journal|last1=Pietropaoli|first1=Davide|last2=Monaco|first2=Annalisa|last3=D'Aiuto|first3=Francesco|last4=Muñoz Aguilera|first4=Eva|last5=Ortu|first5=Eleonora|last6=Giannoni|first6=Mario|last7=Czesnikiewicz-Guzik|first7=Marta|last8=Guzik|first8=Tomasz J.|last9=Ferri|first9=Claudio|last10=Del Pinto|first10=Rita|date=2020-06-22|title=Active gingival inflammation is linked to hypertension|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32576741|journal=Journal of Hypertension|volume=38 |issue=10 |pages=2018–2027 |doi=10.1097/HJH.0000000000002514|issn=1473-5598|pmid=32576741}}
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
• Leukemia
• Malnutrition
• Aspirin and anticoagulants therapy [http://healthguide.howstuffworks.com/bleeding-gums-dictionary.htm Howstuffworks Bleeding gums] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012000954/http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions |date=2017-10-12 }} URL assessed on November 21, 2009
• Hormonal imbalances during puberty and pregnancy
• Iron overload

Other less common causes are:

• vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) and vitamin K deficiency
• dengue fever''Hayes, E. B.; Gubler, D. J. Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J., 1992, 11, 311-

317.

An examination by the dentist or dental hygienist should be sufficient to rule out the issues such as malnutrition and puberty. Additional corresponding diagnosis tests to certain potential disease may be required. This includes oral glucose tolerance test for diabetes mellitus, blood studies, human gonadotrophin levels for pregnancy, and X-rays for teeth and jaw bones.

In order to determine the periodontal health of a patient, the dentist or dental hygienist records the sulcular depths of the gingiva and observes any bleeding on probing. This is often accomplished with the use of a periodontal probe. Alternatively, dental floss may also be used to assess the Gingival bleeding index. It is used as an initial evaluation on patient's periodontal health especially to measure gingivitis. The number of bleeding sites is used to calculate the gingival bleeding score.[http://www.medal.org/visitor/www%5CActive%5Cch9%5Cch9.01%5Cch9.01.04.aspx Gingival Bleeding Index of Carter and Barnes] URL assessed on November 21, 2009

Peer-reviewed dental literature thoroughly establishes that bleeding on probing is a poor positive predictor of periodontal disease, but conversely lack of bleeding is a very strong negative predictor. The clinical interpretation of this research is that while BOP presence may not indicate periodontal disease, continued absence of BOP is a strong predictor (approximately 98%) of continued periodontal health.Absence of bleeding on probing. An indicator of periodontal stability.

J Clin Periodontol. 1990 Nov;17(10):714-21.

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• Corresponding treatments for diagnosed diseases should be taken as first priority.
• Dentist or hygienists should be visited once every three months for plaque removal.
• Soft-bristle toothbrush is recommended for brushing your teeth. Hard-bristled toothbrushes may be softened by leaving under hot running water (very hot) before brushing every time, followed by gentle brushing.{{cite web|url=http://www.mermaidclinic.com/articles/gum-disease-and-periodontal-disease/periodontal-disease-periodontitis|title=Mermaid Clinic-in Gum disease and periodontal disease|access-date=January 17, 2017|archive-date=April 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413102151/http://www.mermaidclinic.com/articles/gum-disease-and-periodontal-disease/periodontal-disease-periodontitis|url-status=dead}}
• Flossing twice a day can prevent the building up of plaques.
• Tobacco should be avoided as tobacco can aggravate the bleeding gums.
• A balanced healthy diet should also be taken into account.
• Physiotherapy programme using over-the-counter toothpaste with triclosan should be used with home care.

If there is persistent continuation of inflammation and bleeding, a prescription of antiplaque rinse would be useful.

{{Periodontology}}

Category:Bleeding

Category:Periodontology

Category:Preventive dentistry