I had bleeding gums for a few years and when I complained to my stupid dentist, he told me I was brushing too hard. I ended up having to have gum surgery to save my teeth! The reason you have bleeding gums is because you have gum disease. Once you have it, you will need to DEAL with it without fail. There are a couple things you can do immediately. First of all, stop using Listerine - too much alchohol, which is very hard on your gums. Go to the drug store and get a product called Peroxyl. Swish with it two to three times a day for a few days. Be sure not to swollow ANY of the mouthwash, as it has hydroperoxide in it, which is toxic. But hydroperoxide really does the trick. Second, start flossing! If you can't handle flossing, get something called a Butler pick and pick between your teeth after eating. You should also run the tip of the pick underneath your gumline on the outside and inside of your mouth. Next, once things have settled down, get to a good dentist and tell him about the bleeding gum issue. A good dentist will check your gum issues and keep them under control. If you don't deal with this now, believe me you will be dealing with it later - with gum abcesses and lost teeth. Hope this helps!