Bleeding gums is among the common conditions affecting the oral cavity. The Chinese might have noticed bleeding gums as early as 2500 BC. They termed the associated diseases as “Ya-Kon” which means diseases of soft tissue surrounding the teeth. This problem still continues to affect us even with so many modern  facilities  available in the field of oral care.

what are the causes for bleeding gums?

1. Long standing information for gums: Poor maintenance of the teeth, such as inadequate brushing or failure to rinse the mouth after meals results in a thin layer of food and bacteria covering the tooth surface. This bacterium is the chief culprit behind the inflammation. The gums during the stage of infection become soft, spongy and swollen. Trauma to the gums by hard brushing or tooth picking with sharp objects result in gingival bleeding. 
2. Bleeding can also be due to injury of the gums by any sharp food item e.g., fish bone.
3. Hot food and chemicals can end up burning the gums, further resulting in bleeding. For e.g. Some people still follow the practice of placing pain relieving tablets on the gum adjacent to the painful tooth, which invariably causes burns.
4. Certain rapidly spreading infections can damage the blood vessels of the gums resulting in bleeding. One such disease is ANUG.
5. Deficiency of Vitamin C causes problems with the blood vessels, hence causing bleeding in the gums. Ancient sailors were known to suffer from this problem until some one came up with the bright idea of stocking the ships with oranges during travel. As we know oranges are a rich source of Vitamin C.
6. Certain general illness of the body can also precipitate gingival bleeding.
They are the following.
a. Allergic reaction.
b. Increase in number of cells called platelets. These are cells, which join together to form a plate that blocks the bleeding from an injured vessel.
c. Failure in Blood clotting mechanism due to deficiency of a few important components.
d. Cancerous condition called leukemia. 
e. Certain drugs such as aspirin and anti-coagulants, which prevent the normal clotting mechanism of the blood.