How getting your gums checked could save your life

Bleeding gums are often linked to brushing too hard or the early stages of gum disease, but they can also sometimes point to something far more serious.

As a student at Edinburgh Napier University, Amber Cunningham-Rogan one day noticed that, amid other symptoms, her gums were bleeding. She booked multiple appointments with doctors and dentists, but over time they were surprised to find her gums were not healing as they should. Her gums were otherwise healthy and there was seemingly no logical reason why they shouldn’t recover.

A referral to a haematology unit indicated abnormalities and a higher-than-normal white blood cell count. After more tests, she underwent a bone marrow biopsy. This revealed that she had chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), which is a rare blood cancer that normally affects people over the age of 60. CML stays with you for life, even if you ‘look’ cured. There are approximately 224 CML deaths and 840 new cases every year in the UK.

Having come through this life-threatening disease, Cunningham-Rogan is now fully aware that bleeding gums can, in some instances, be a symptom of leukaemia. Gum disease is estimated to affect at least half the UK’s population, and there may be people unaware of how serious their symptoms are.

If you are concerned about gum disease, make an appointment with our advanced care team at Art of Dental Care. We are leading providers of dental services such as root canal treatment in Chester.