What Causes Bleeding Gums?

Bleeding gums can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose bleeding gums, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "bleeding gums" as a symptom. Here are four possibilities:

AML Leukemia
Periodontal Disease
Mercury Toxicity
Vitamin C Need

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

metallic taste in mouth

abnormal taste in mouth

nasal congestion

moving white lines across nails

coated tongue

regular painful urge to defecate

occasional confusion/disorientation

eyes bulge from past hyperthyroidism

back-of-neck lymph node problems

very angry/hostile disposition

unexplained missed periods

occasional hangnails

... and more than 30 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of bleeding gums:

Cause	Probability	Status
AML Leukemia	91%	Confirm
Periodontal Disease	26%	Unlikely
Vitamin C Need	2%	Ruled out
Mercury Toxicity	1%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Mouth/Oral Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about gums that bleed easily:

How often do your gums bleed when you brush your teeth?

Possible responses:

→ Never / don't know
→ Rarely, and only with hard brushing
→ At least once a month
→ At least once a week
→ Always or most of the time

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either gums that bleed easily or gums that bleed very easily, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)

Very rarely, bleeding gums are due to leukemia.

Mercury Toxicity (Amalgam Illness)

Periodontal Disease - Gingivitis

Bleeding gums are nearly always a symptom of gingivitis.

Vitamin C Requirement

Bleeding gums are sometimes due to scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), but this is a rare condition nowadays.

Gums That Bleed Easily