Having your child go through anything unpleasant can be quite difficult for a parent. It's natural to empathize and to want to protect them from anything and everything. So if you've discovered that your child has bleeding gums, you may be worried. Here's what you should do in this situation.

1. Understand the Causes

There are a few potential causes of bleeding gums, so it's important to determine which is at fault for your child's condition. The quickest way to go about this is to visit a dentist, but here's a rundown of what could be causing the problem.

For starters, your child's mouth may have been injured. Being struck by a ball at school, for example, can cause the gums to bleed for a little while. Alternatively, they may have an adult tooth moving in that's caused some minor bleeding as it breaks through the surface of the gums.

However, if neither of these scenarios seem to be the problem, the most likely cause is gum disease. Unfortunately, gum disease is becoming more common in children if they consume a lot of sugar and carbohydrates in their average diet, so it's possible that's what's impacting your child.

2. Treatment

Your first and only step to take here is to go to a dentist. Only your dentist can say for sure what's going on with your child's gums. If a mild injury or a tooth growing in are to blame for the problem, your dentist will clean the area and potentially provide antibiotics to help ward off any infections. Other than that, your child's gums should recover on their own.

However, if it's gum disease, a thorough children's dental cleaning will help. This is often enough to reverse early-stage gum disease, so it may be all your child needs. Your dentist will let you know if you need to come in more frequently in order to keep it at bay.

3. Steps to Take at Home

Just because your child's dental cleaning has left their gums in a good condition doesn't mean they'll stay that way if their habits remain the same. To keep avoiding gum disease, you'll need to help your child to improve their oral health at home. This means monitoring your child when they brush their teeth to ensure that they do a good job, and potentially adding floss or a water flosser to their routine to help boost the health of their gums.

In addition, consider cutting down on the amount of sugar that your child eats, and when they do consume sugar, have them brush their teeth immediately afterward.