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Bleeding gums may be not be due to gum disease

For the vast majority of situations when our Highlands Ranch dentists see bleeding gums they associate this with some type of gum disease.  While being a disproportionate differential diagnosis there are “rare” instances where bleeding gums are not dentally related.  Certain medical problems can be associated with bleeding gums. In addition certain medication can increase the risk of gum disease most notably Dilantin used to control seizures. Dr. James DeLapp and Dr. H. Candace DeLapp  provide general and cosmetic dentistry for their patients in the Denver, Lone Tree, Castle Pines, Parker, Ken Caryl, Castle Rock, and Denver Tech Center areas of Colorado

Cancer and bleeding gums Denver Dentistry

Now before everyone gets worried about bleeding gums ….you should know that this is an uncommon but “possible” finding.  As an example Dr. James DeLapp has seen one case of this in his twenty-five (25)years of practice. In this case the patient presented with a chief complaint of bleeding gums that was progressively getting worse. The “look” of the gums was “odd” and she was referred to her physician.  Blood work subsequently revealed leukemia as a diagnosis.

Most common causes of Bleeding Gums

Bleeding upon brushing or flossing while common indicates that an active infective disease process is going on.  Chronic bleeding gums can affect your overall health and can “contribute” to a variety of medical problems including heart and kidney problems.

No matter what the “cause” … get your gums treated properly

Scheduling an exam …x-rays and cleaning is the first best step in disease prevention.  We can’t treat what we do not know about.  Please feel free to contact our Highlands Ranch dentists and make an appointment today.  The can be reached at (303) 694-9740