This is my first post here, but I need some direction.

Yesterday I was at my 2nd deep cleaning appointment (left side); 5 days after my first appointment (right side). After she was done, she told me to go rinse because I had started to bleed on the bottom. Well, rinsing after novocaine is hard enough, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. My dentist said it would stop soon, and that I could go.

Now after getting home, I noticed it was still bleeding. Unfortunately I remembered taking some ES Excedrin an hour before the appt. It contained 500 mg of asprin, and I know that's a blood thinner. So I realized that was probably why my gums wouldn't clot. I had 4 areas that were bleeding last night.

When I woke up this morning, my mouth was full of clotted blood (ie. thick) on the left-lower side. Three of the four areas have clotted (I didn't remove them for fear of bleeding again), but this one area on my lower-left side will not clot. Well let me correct myself, it bleeds outside of the gum, and clots outside of one tooth. What is really strange is the blood "caps" the one tooth. Like a blood "cover" on this tooth. I've removed this cap 3-4 times this morning, but it still bleeds.

I tried putting pressure on it with a moist paper towel, but can't hold it on longer than 10 minutes, because I'm at work.

1) Is this normal? (Esp. after a blood-thinner)
2) Should I go back to the dentist?
3) Is there anything I can try to stop the bleeding?
4) When I get home tonight, should I brush (probably taking off the clots) and rinse regardless?

Thank you for any and all suggestions/info/help. :)

Having gone through the same...the pain med is the cause and yes brush tonight and continue with your routine...your gums just need time to heal and they will. Just brush gently. Did the dentist give you a sonicare/or electric tooth brush? It really is the best solution along with a sulca brush to keep you from having to endure the proceedure again. And what taking pain med's prior to certain dental visits...also a little blood from having the planning done is normal afterwards...but should stop soon after.

Thank you for the reassurance. I'm definitely going to wait until I get home to brush. Don't want to "open the flood gates" while in public view here at work. ;)

That happenend to my husband after a cleaning. Dentist said the hygentist hit a capillary. He recommended using a tea bag (black tea). Steep it first to get it wet and remove the tea then place it in your mouth. It still took a couple days to stop bleeding as my husband couldn't stand leaving the clot there. It didn't bleed continously though once he started using the tea bag--it did seem to stem the bleeding. And right, no products with aspirin.

Okay, I'm getting nervous here... the bleeding has been constant for about 27 hours now. I think it's worse tonight than last night. I called my dentist twice, and she hasn't called me back yet (voicemail on cell phone; office was closed today). I think I'm going to be at her office first thing in the morning. I think this is going beyond the aspirin. I haven't had anything to eat in this time, and I nearly vomited from pulling out "blood chunks" from my mouth... but then again, I don't have anything in me to vomit.

:(

She finally called me back, but she doesn't seem concerned; I really don't think she realizes how bad the bleeding is. But I'm going to her office in the morning.

Please let us know why? and what the dentist said....sounds like something went wrong

Okay ... just got home from the dentist. She took me right away. I went with moist paper towel in my mouth, to let it build up and show her the amount of blood. Her first reaction was "Holy (beep)!" She had never seen anything like that after a deep cleaning. (If you were to look in my garbage can right now, with the amount of bloody items in there, you would have thought I killed someone. :eek: )

She removed a blood clot from one area in the upper left quadrant, and gave me some type of shot (which oddly I didn't feel at all) for anti-coagulation (?). She even called a colleague for advice in case that didn't work. While we waited for a callback, the bleeding had stopped. She said she didn't know if it was removing the clot, or the injections, or the combination of both, but I seem to have stopped bleeding.

She said not to be tentative, and go about my normal activities.... eat (haven't had much in 40 hours), brush, floss, etc. She gave me gauze (just in case), a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss to take to work and she told me to brush in a couple hours. I'm going to wait here at home for 10-15 minutes to make sure I'm not bleeding and then head into work.

Never had any pain throughout this experience... just the annoyance of bleeding everywhere. So weird... but this dentist a really nice and was apologetic. I don't blame her. I just wonder how different this would have played out had I not taken any aspirin.

Thanks to those who replied here. I appreciate the responses.
Now I get to go back at the end of the month for 2 wisdom teeth extractions. Fun times in the city. Woo. ;)

Think you may be better to rinse your mouth in cool salt water ( saline solution ) rather than brushing. Use a teaspoon of salt to a pint of water.
Do this at regular intervals. Not hot yet not cold. Go back and see your dentist. This bleed has gone on long enough. Even after the bleeding has ceased still continue to rinse with saline after meals till your healed.
Thats what I had to do. I no longer allow deep cleaning....... Boz