Flossing teeth and MDS

I think you might try visiting a periodontist. I don’t have this issue, but I have ET and I have gum disease.

Maybe try a water pik instead? You can adjust the pressure.

Good morning @twitt1949 Having MDS or any blood condition/blood cancer can affect blood cell levels, as you're familiar with. You see the fluctuations in your labs. The changes can bring about conditions such as anemia with lower red blood counts and lower platelets may produce issues with unusual bleeding. People with reduced platelets might see more, "where did that come from" bruising, excessive bleeding from cuts, nose bleeds and bleeding gums.

I went through this myself during my leukemia odyssey and it's unnerving to see blood in the sink when I've been so diligent with oral health care. It's nothing you're doing, unless you're in need of a professional dental cleaning. But considering that you're diligently flossing and brushing I'm confident you're a good dental patient! ☺️ So in this case, the bleeding is most likely the nature of the disease.
As a dental professional for 30+ years of my career I can offer a couple of ideas.
~I'd suggest a visit to your dentist to discuss this change in your oral health. With your reduced ability to use floss as regularly, they may suggest more frequent cleanings.
~You can try daily mouth rinsing with lukewarm salt water. 1/4 teaspoon salt dissolved in 8 ounces of water. Swish for a minute a few times daily and spit. Some people also add baking soda. Both are good at healing to sooth the tissue.
~Pulling with organic coconut oil can also be soothing and naturally helps reduce bacteria in the mouth. It won't stop the bleeding but may help with inflammation. This is my go-to mouth soother. A teaspoon of coconut oil on the tongue. let it melt, then keep swishing between teeth for up to 20 minutes. Do NOT swallow. When finished, spit the oil/saliva into a tissue, not the sink as it will clog the drain.
~Switching to a very soft toothbrush can be helpful. Also, instead of 'brushing' up and down and scrubbing, place the bristles angled down towards the gum where it meets the teeth. Then just gently make vibrating motions. The goal is to allow the soft bristles to go a bit beneath the gum level to clean the pockets around the teeth. Takes some time but it can be a boost to the gum tissue health.
~As @shmerdloff suggested, a waterpik might be helpful. But only use at a low setting. High settings on these devices can actually damage the attachment between the teeth and gums. Especially if your gums are already sensitive 'less is more' in terms of power.
~I also found switching to a natural, children's toothpaste without the heavy mint felt so much nicer. Didn't freshen my mouth as well, but my gums felt less like they had been rubbed with sand paper.

I remember you just received your latest blood work. What was your platelet level?

Thanks for the info. Attached are my platelet counts. I misspoke earlier about how may pages I downloaded. I said there was 20 pages with 12 tests per page. I should have looked closer. Most were from back many years ago.
Looks like the platelets are going down. What does that mean and what do I have to look forward too if they keep going down.
What do platelets do?
It looks like there are 2 different platelet tests. Your thoughts please.

Hi @twitt1949 A quick tutorial for you. Platelets are the portion of your blood that is responsible for helping your to blood clot. If the level of platelets in your total volume of blood falls off then it takes longer for blood to clot if you get a nick/cut or injured.

As you mentioned after looking at your results being tracked since last October, there has been a downward trend in your platelet level. When you look at the printout, the normal range for platelets would be between 150,000 to 450,000 K/UL. That means anywhere from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets would expect to be counted per microliter of blood. (Or, 150-450K per K/UL)

With your platelet reading of 79 that indicates the lab found 79,000 platelets in one microliter of blood. So that does put you in a moderate level of low platelets. (50-100 K/UL is considered moderately low range) This is not a dangerously low level but you don’t want to take up knife juggling right now. ☺️ However, this lower platelet level could explain the bleeding gums.

You’re wondering what happens if the platelets keep decreasing. This is good question for your doctor. There are varying treatment options she can discuss with you, often including medications and transfusions if the levels get too low. But that’s putting the cart way before the horse. That’s only ‘if or when’ your doctor feels it’s time for you to take the next step with your MDS.
I know you have a video appt with your oncologist coming up in early May. Have your list of questions or concerns written out and ready for your visit. It helps to stay on task and have the time to answer everything. Include on the list that you’re experiencing bleeding gums. And any other symptoms you might be noticing such as bruising or nosebleeds, etc.
These are all good questions you’re posing but only your doctor can give you the definitive answers for what’s next.

Hi Again
Thank you for the information. No Knife juggling? I'm heart broken. That's been on my bucket list for years. I guess if ya snooze ya lose. That does explain when I get a little scratch of cut I bleed for a longer time. I think I'm gonna keep a bottle of super glue handy though. I've used it over the years and it does work good and quick to stop bleeding. I will get a list of questions for my doc when she calls.
Have you ever been to the Keweenaw peninsula? Houghton/Hancock, Copper harbor area? We go up there every year. For the first time in 20 years both my daughter and son (and their family) will join my wife and I in mid Aug for a week of camping. They each have their own trailers. My son has really wanted to go with us for 20 years, but his family and working he could never get away. Hopefully this year it will happen. I just hope we don't need snowmobile suits. The snow should be gone by then. So far this year they have had 329 inches of snow. Thats over 27 ft.

@twitt1949 LOL We need add a 😂 emoji to the reaction bar. Yep, sorry about the news of no Knife juggling but you could substitute bowling pins…just sayin’.
Yes, I’m very familiar with the Keweenaw Peninsula. One of my besties grew up in Calumet. We’ve (husband and I) spent quite a bit of time up in Copper Harbor and stayed at the Keweenaw Mountain lodge (years ago). Our daughter did her undergrad studies at NMU so we had many trips to Marquette too. Now with our own place in northern WI we don’t get up into the UP that much anymore. But lots of fond memories.