While it isn’t rare for your gums to be somewhat sore after flossing, they should never hurt so bad that you can no longer floss. They also shouldn’t bleed because you’ve flossed them. There is one main reason why this may occur though.
Gum Disease (Periodontal Disease)
Gum disease occurs when you have a buildup of plaque underneath your gum line. When you floss your teeth, you may experience some pain. This is because you’re starting to clean and remove this plaque from an area that wasn’t exposed before. Fortunately, this type of pain should subside relatively quickly. If this doesn’t happen, then it is possible that you may have gum disease.
Some of the other signs of gum disease that you should know about include bad breath, tender gums, and loose teeth. You want to talk to us about these things right away before you develop receding gums or start losing teeth.
Talking to us About Flossing
Although we take any pain associated with flossing seriously, you should never jump to any conclusions when this pain starts after you haven’t ever flossed your teeth before. If you haven’t practiced proper dental hygiene before now, you’ve given your teeth the opportunity for bacteria to form on them, causing your gums to become inflamed, red, swollen, and even bleed. This shouldn’t be extremely painful though.
When you are experiencing an extreme amount of pain from flossing, it’s a good idea for you to call and schedule an appointment with us. We’d like to err on the side of caution by examining your gums to make sure you aren’t suffering from periodontal disease. If we do diagnose you with this, it’s important to catch it early on so that it can be properly treated. So, don’t put this off, call our office today.