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Warning signs of leukemia are easily confused with dental disease

Posted on 26 Month 03 2024

Bleeding gums, a symptom of leukemia, can be noticed while brushing teeth, but are often overlooked by many people.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), also known as leukemia, progresses very quickly and aggressively. In fact, the disease often requires immediate treatment and causes more than 2,700 deaths in the UK alone each year.

Symptoms tend to develop and begin to become more severe in just a few weeks. Among them, one warning sign is easily confused with another common dental problem.

According to Cancer Research UK, leukemia can cause a person to bruise or bleed easily - including bleeding gums when brushing their teeth. This often occurs due to thrombocytopenia, which is a lack of platelets in the blood, slowing the clotting process after injury.

Of course, bleeding gums can occur because of a variety of dental problems such as brushing too hard, overusing dental floss, or even switching to a new toothbrush. Bleeding can also be caused by plaque buildup that causes irritation and inflammation of the gums, leading to gum disease.

If your gums bleed when brushing your teeth, see your dentist. You should also brush your teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day, and floss to remove food between your teeth to minimize plaque buildup and gum disease.