Oral Health

If your gums bleed even though you brush twice a day, frequency is not the variable that is failing you. A toothbrush reaches only about 60% of each tooth surface, and plaque hardens into calculus within 24-72 hours - after which no amount of brushing removes it. Here is what actually stops the bleeding, and when it stops being a shopping problem.

The Cochrane evidence does favour powered toothbrushes: they reduce plaque and gingivitis more than manual brushes, and oscillating-rotating designs have the strongest data behind them. But the effect is modest, and a manual brush used properly beats an expensive electric brush used badly - because pressure, time, coverage and interdental cleaning decide whether your gums bleed, not the motor.

Bleeding is not a reason to stop brushing the area - it is the reason to clean it properly. This is the full technique guide: the Modified Bass method, the 45-degree angle into the gum line, correct pressure, brush selection and interdental cleaning, step by step.