Please Help, My 2 Year Olds Gums Are Bleeding.. ??

My first reaction to this is that she might have low iron levels. One of the common symptoms of this is bleeding gums (I have been anemic off and on my whole life). A iron test will be much cheaper than a dentists bill and you can probably get it down at the public health dept.

1. Find a nearby dental school and take her there. They'll be able to diagnose and treat for way less $$ than a regular dental office.

2. What type of toothpaste are you using? I used only Tom's Natural products on my LO's mouths. Adult main stream tooth paste are very irritating to their young gums.

3. Does she eat a lot of sugary candy or sour candy during the day? Stop that irritating stuff pronto.

4. Make sure she eats an apple a day and drinks whole milk. The benefits are too many to list here.

GL!

I have gun disease and as a result, have lost numerous teeth. I only have about 8 real teeth left. I have NEVER had pain when brushing and very little bleeding. It's hard to imagine that at age 2, she has gingivitis, but then again, I'm not a dentist!

Are her teeth straight? My GD had problems with bleeding gums and a hard time eating before she got her braces because her teeth were so crooked.

Here we have a dental practice called Western Dental. They do take payment plans. Also, there is a credit company called Care Credit. See if they do business in your state. It's a credit plan for dental treatment.

If it is gum disease, you should use one of the good electric toothbrushes (sonic care or something similar) two times per day, floss daily, and I use Listerine because it's an antiseptic. That is probably waaayyyyy too strong for a 2 year old. I do think they now have Alcohol-free Listerine, try that. If that's still too much, warm salt water works wonders in the mouth.

I just had two more teeth pulled yesterday and added to my partial. That cost me almost $1,000. I have no insurance and still more work to be done. I keep telling myself that I'd rather have dental issues than medical issues, but holy cow the cost is ridiculous!

Good luck.

It could be she has some teeth coming in.
Does she eat enough fruit / drink fruit juice / take a daily vitamin?
Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) will cause bleeding gums.
When you brush her teeth you should use a soft bristled tooth brush and not press very hard at all.
You can also clean her teeth by putting a wet wash cloth over your finger and wipe her teeth and gums - it's very gentle.
Also - there's such a thing as wear and tear due to excessive cleaning.
Most dentists recommend brushing teeth no more than twice a day - morning and before bed.
Brushing her teeth after every meal might be rubbing her raw.

Call around and find a dentist that will see her at a reduced rate or will accept a payment plan. Is there a dental school near you? That is another option.

She NEEDS a pediatric dentist but if you end up with a regular dentist who helps people in need, that is still better than doing nothing. If you are STILL unsuccessful, go to your pedi to have her checked.

I personally think 2 yrs old is too young for gum disease unless there have been some very lax efforts made for dental care but I am not a dental professional. It sounds like you are trying with daily brushing. It could be something as simple as new teeth coming in which does cause some pain and bleeding with some children.

Good luck and get her to a Dr.

You've gotten good answers - I just want to recommend that you get a SOFT bristle tooth brush for her. You need to change brushes - the old one may be cutting her gums. That could spread infection...

Please keep us posted!

Good luck!
Dawn

Do you use gel toothpaste? I am allergic t gel and can only use paste. When I found out I was allergic, my gums and the side of my mouth was red, my gums bleed and my tongue burned. I went to my regular dr so maybe you can take her to her ped. Good luck to you both.

Take her to the ER-they will treat her and if you can't afford to pay and are not insured-they will still treat her. Insist on blood work-and good luck.

She is bleeding and can't chew? It could be teeth coming in but if she is in real pain and is not eating -- have her seen immediately. She must see a dentist today, or get her to the ER as someone else noted. I don't mean to be a scare-mongerer, but here in the DC area a few years back -- true story, it was all over the papers-- a boy died of what started out as an infection in his mouth that simple dental care would have found;his family was not able to afford a dentist, but it came out after his death that there are emergency programs for children with health or dental issues, only his family didn't know about those programs. What do you mean by the "state stopping her medical insurance"? What program is it? There are many and if there is not state coverage you may be eligible for Medicaid.

Did you tell the dentist that you lacked coverage and then did you ask if you can do a payment plan paying off the dentist in small amounts over time? Did the dentist realize your child was bleeding? Any dentist that's decent would have said to bring her in and you'd work out payments later.

But do not wait for some program or for someone to find you $200. At least get her to the ER. She could have an infection and that could spread beyond her mouth. You can repay a debt, you can tangle later with medical billing, but her health cannot be replaced.

Please ask at the hospital, once she is bettter, where you go to get your child some medical coverage via the state or federal programs. Hospitals have social workers for exactly that reason -- answering questions.

Gum disease is very rare in children that young. I would call around and see if you can find a dentist that will look at her for cheaper. $200 seems steep for just taking your child in to be seen - at this age they typically do not do anything but a visual inspection, no x-rays or anything else.

If that will not work take her to your pediatrician, while they are not dentists, they can certainly evaluate whether there is an infection that requires treatment.

Chances are that she either has sensitive gums due to teeth erupting, possibly a tiny injury or sore (very common) or that you are brushing too hard.
Good luck!

she needs more calcium , give her milk or juice to drink with every meal and offer her liquids of any kind throughout the day. offer her a very gentle brushing first thing in the morning, my daughter wasnt thrilled about brushing until we made it a part of her "morning routine", studies have shown that girls get about HALF the calcium that they need, offer her anything that is high in calcium, milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream etc.and ease back on the brushing to twice a day, then give it a month, if her gums are still bleeding after all the extra calcium and only brushing twice a day, then take her into the dentist.
K. h.

Do you know why they canceled her medical insurance? My granddaughter is covered by the state, and earlier another child was covered. It would be rare to have her coverage canceled. I suggest you find out why and get her back on the plan. Call and ask.

In the meantime, it's quite possible that this is nothing. As others have suggest she may be getting new teeth or she may have abraded a small section of gums. Look at all of her gums. Are they pink and lying next to the teeth? Can you see where the blood is coming from? If so is it from one spot or several? Are her gums puffy and swollen?

I'd stop brushing them. It could be that the tooth brush is irritating the gums. Is her brush small and does it have very soft bristles? If not, then I'd suggest it's the tooth brush causing this. I'd use a wash cloth and wipe her teeth and gums to see if this helps.

I agree that it's highly unlikely that she has gingivitus, especially if this just started. gingivitus is caused when the gums loosen and come away from the teeth and bacteria gets under the gums. It's a process that takes time for the infection to get worse. She's just too young.

She will not be in danger of an infection, etc. It's safe to wait to get help.

I doubt your daughter has gum disease, this early. Last time my 3 yr old went for his exam & cleaning ( he was 2.5 ), his gums bled. The hygienist told me why but I don't remember. It wasn't a big deal.

I'm afraid calcium has nothing to do with gums bleeding, you may actually be brushing the teeth too much, we only need to brush twice a day, morning and night. Studies have been done which show brushing more than this does not lower the incidence of caries. Rather than gum disease it sounds like she is having an inflammatory reaction to something - does she have a fever? There are a few conditions that can manifest themselves in the gums as well as other parts of the body. It sounds like you look after her mouth really well, so it is unlikely that gingivitis will come on so suddenly. There is something called gingivostomatitis which can affect kids and cause their mouth to be very sore. I am in dental hygiene school, and we charge $15 for a complete check over and cleaning, fluoride treatment etc, and we have a dentist who will look over the mouth. Maybe see if there is a hygiene school near you?

Possibly 2 year molars coming in.