I thought my bleeding gums were from brushing my teeth too hard - then I was told it was ‘life or death’ at just 21

WHEN Amber Cunningham-Rogan was in her final year at university, she thought her bleeding gums were a straightforward dental issue.

She might have simply been brushing her teeth a bit too vigorously, or perhaps have a mild case of gingivitis , the 21-year-old believed.

But a routine check for suspected gum disease - which affects almost half of adults in the UK - instead marked the start of a life-shattering journey.

Amber, from St Andrews, Scotland , was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) - a rare, lifelong blood cancer that usually affects people over the age of 60.

“I initially thought I was just brushing my teeth a bit too hard, and then that I potentially had gum disease,” she tells Sun Health.

“Had I not listened to my body and pushed for answers, things coul