TL;DR
- Swollen gums can be caused by a variety of issues, including:
- Debris between teeth
- Infection
- Ill-fitting dentures
- Recent orthodontic treatment
- Decay or injury
- Poor hygiene
- and more.
- Swollen gums often appear reddish or purplish in color and bleed easily.
- Swollen gums are usually treated with antibiotics, deep cleaning, or surgery.
- You can prevent swollen gums by:
- Formulating a good oral hygiene routine
- Visit a professional for a deep clean once every 6 months
- Eat a diet with high vitamin B and C content
- If your gums are swollen around one tooth only, it may be a result of stuck food or early-stage periodontal disease.
Why Your Gums are Swollen?
Although they are often overlooked in hygiene routines, gum health is an indelible part of your overall oral health. Swollen gums can unfortunately indicate a range of issues, from minor irritation to more serious conditions.
Swollen gums often lead to additional symptoms such as tenderness or bleeding. To prevent periodontal disease and other complications, it’s important to monitor your gum health and recognize what may be causing irritation early on.
Read on to understand the common causes of swollen gums and when it may be time to seek professional care.
What Causes Swollen Gums?
Unfortunately, many dental issues manifest with swollen gums. The following are some common causes:
- Debris between your teeth that’s stinging or poking your gums
- Abscess in a tooth (infection)
- Gingivitis
- Periodontitis
- Bacterial infection
- Ill-fitting dentures
- Recent orthodontic treatments
- Decay in a tooth
- Injury to a tooth (like a fracture)
Some rarer causes include side effects from medication, fungal infections, vitamin deficiency, smoking, hormonal changes (such as pregnancy), blood cancers, and poorly managed diabetes.
Symptoms of Bleeding Gums
Here’s how to distinguish swollen gums from one-off instances of irritation or inflammation:
- Puffy gums
- Tenderness
- Bleeding gingiva (the part of the gum right below the tooth)
- Dark red or purplish gums
Management & Treatment of Swollen Gums
Because you can get swollen gums for a number of reasons, treatment varies by the underlying cause. However, since swollen gums are often an early warning sign for gingivitis, dentists usually recommend the following by way of treatment:
- Antibiotics (to treat certain infections)
- Brushing and flossing on a regular schedule
- Scaling and planing (deep cleaning)
- Osseous surgery
You should visit a dentist for swollen gums if they persist for more than two weeks. Many times, swollen gums may resolve on their own. For instance, if the underlying cause is debris in the teeth, the issue can clear up without much intervention.
Home Remedies for Swollen Gums
If you think your swollen gums are indicative of a larger issue, it is absolutely essential that you visit a dentist. While you monitor the situation, you can do the following at home to ease some of the symptoms:
- Brush and floss on a schedule (this is non-negotiable!)
- Rinse your mouth thorough with salt water a few times in a day
- Apply a face pack to the side of the face you’re facing the irritation
Prevention of Swollen Gums
As with most dental issues, prevention remains the best strategy. Here are some preventative steps you can take:
- Set up a dedicated oral hygiene routine for yourself. Ensure you spend your time brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash.
- Undergo professional deep cleaning once every six months.
- Make sure your diet is rich in vitamins and nutrients. Vitamin C is particularly important to control this symptom.
- Try to take steps to control (and eventually) quit habits like smoking.
Why is My Gum Swollen around One Tooth?
Swollen gum tissue around one tooth can be a side effect of something as simple as food stuck between the teeth. This is temporary and should clear up after brushing and flossing.
However, if the swelling doesn’t seem to be resolving, you may be suffering from an abscess. This is the result of a periodontal infection that has resulted in a pocket of pus.
Without treatment, the infection can spread, even travelling through the bloodstream to reach other parts of the body.
Caring For Your Periodontal Health
Periodontal hygiene should always be a significant consideration. Learn to spot warning signs and ensure your hygiene routine accounts for them.
Periodontal disease can easily escalate and cause long-term damage. You can remedy this with the right preventative strategy and immediate action. If you’ve been noticing some consistent, worrying symptoms like swollen gums, it’s best to have an honest conversation with your dentist about your periodontal health.
At Dental on First, we know how awkward it can be to talk about puzzling symptoms. Oral hygiene is hard to get right the first try, and our team is committed to helping you set up a sustainable routine and treat any issues you’re facing.
We’re proud to work as a trusted dentist in New Prague, MN, and if you’ve been ignoring a troubling symptom for a while now, we urge you to come in for a checkup.
Our clinic: 136 Main St. West, New Prague, MN 56071
Contact: 952-758-3003
FAQs
Yes, swollen gums are common with braces, especially early on or if food and plaque build up around brackets. Maintaining a sustainable brushing and flossing routine can help reduce irritation.
Yes, you should continue brushing inflamed gums gently. Avoiding brushing can allow bacteria to build up and worsen the inflammation.
The fastest way to heal a gum infection is to see a dentist for proper treatment, which may include deep cleaning or antibiotics. Home remedies can ease symptoms but will not eliminate the infection.
Do not ignore a gum infection or rely solely on home remedies. Avoid smoking and aggressive brushing, as these can worsen irritation and delay healing.
