Bleeding gums can be a sign of periodontal diseases, especially gingivitis. Gums bleed mainly because of inadequate removal of plaque from teeth and gums, especially gum lines. If plaque is not removed from teeth and gums through regular brushing and flossing and professional dental cleanings by a general dentist, it will harden on the gum lines and lead to inflammation of the gums, called gingivitis and causes them to bleed. If not treated, it leads to increased bleeding and advanced gum and jawbone diseases called periodontitis. Eventually, it will destroy the soft tissue and bone supporting the teeth and your teeth may become loose and fall out.
Bleeding of gums can also be sign of bleeding disorders, hormonal changes during pregnancy in women, ill-fitting dentures, infections related to teeth or gum, Leukemia, Scurvy, use of blood thinners or simply brushing too hard, improper flossing of deficiency in Vitamin K. Before you jump to any conclusions, consult with your general dentist about it.

Regular professional cleanings by a specialist can help prevent gingivitis and other gum diseases. Also regular checkups by your general dentist can determine any early signs of periodontal diseases (gum diseases) and your dentist can refer you to a periodontist to cure the problem before it irritates you or causes permanent damage to your teeth and gum.
Brush at least twice a day, but do it gently and with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Also, floss your teeth at least once a day to prevent plaque from building up between your teeth. If your gums bleed, make an appointment with one of our dentists or periodontists at United Dental Care (also known as Culver City Dentist, Beverly Hills Dentist, Los Angeles Dentist and West Los Angeles Dentist). Meanwhile apply pressure to the bleeding point with a gauze pad. You may rinse with salt water but avoid alcohol-containing mouthwashes. If you wear dentures consult with your orthodontist first. 

As a children dentist, I have come across a lot of young patients with gum diseases. I had this patient last week who had generalized aggressive periodontist. It's a gum disease that usually starts around puberty and affects the entire mouth. His gums were inflamed and there were heavy accumulation of calculus and plaque. I referred him to our periodontist in the office to start treatment immediately. Scaling and root planing was performed to remove the tartar on the teeth and rough spots on the root to clean up where the germs and bacteria gather. His gum disease was not advanced and he didn't need flap surgery. He had not taken the signs seriously- he said it was just slight bleeding while brushing in the beginning- but when his gums became swollen, his bad breath would not go away with brushing and flossing, and he noticed a couple of roots showing, he decided to get it checked just in case. He was lucky as he had come in just in time. If he had ignored the symptoms for a while longer, he would have lost his teeth. These diseases are aggressive and affect all teeth and gum in just a short period of time. Early treatment is essential to save the teeth and gum from periodontal diseases. I advice all parents to take their kids for regular checkups with children dentist to detect any early sign of periodontal diseases and start the treatment in early stages.
Despite the common belief, periodontal diseases or gum diseases are not just for adults, kids and teenagers are prone to them as well. These diseases can be passed through saliva from one person to the other, and that's why gum diseases usually run in the family. Hormonal changes can make gums more sensitive and therefore more prone to diseases. Some illnesses, such as diabetes and heart diseases, medications and some genetic factors can cause periodontal disease as well. Smoking and stress are other risk factors. 

It's amazing how such a small tooth can cause you the worst possible pain! If you feel a dull ache in your tooth, consult with your dentist as soon as you can. If you need a root canal treatment you'd better do it now than later. The dull ache, which can go away by a couple of pain-killers in the beginning, can later turn into the worst pain you have ever experienced. If you don't get a root canal treatment in time, your dentist might have to extract the infected tooth. Last Friday, Richard, a walk-in patient, came in complaining about severe toothache. He had visited his own dentist before and was referred to a periodontist for a root canal treatment. He had called the periodontist and to his dismay had found out that the first availability was for another 2 weeks. He had decided to put up with the pain for the time being and wait for his appointment, but the pain had increased in severity and made him frustrated. He had used several pain-killers for 3 days and finally decided to get a root canal treatment as soon as possible. He had no luck in getting an appointment until he was referred to our clinic. Our periodontist is always present at the office and we managed to squeeze him in as an emergency patient in our busy schedule. Richard practically drifted off after the needle-free dental anesthesia (he also had needle anxiety and had put off the root canal treatment for quite a long time because of it). Anesthesia, along with the several pain-killers he had taken before, and a couple of sleep-less nights put him to sleep. We managed to save his tooth with a root canal treatment despite the infection and he was certainly relieved to find the pain gone when he came around.