Gum is full of blood vessels that carry oxygen and food to the roots of the teeth and other connecting parts of the mouth. Hence, you have to take care of your gum if you want to have a good oral health.
The most common gum problem is the swollen gums which may be caused by various factors. When you have swollen gums, the area around your teeth get swollen, and become dark red in color. The gum becomes irritated and very sensitive and often painful. Most of the times, the swelling is accompanied by bleeding and this usually occurs when you brushing or flossing your teeth.

Swollen Gums Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Swollen Gums

Causes of swollen gums:

There are many causes of swollen gums and most important among them are as follows:

    1. Gingivitis:
      Tis is one of the most common causes of swollen gums. As the symptoms are usually minor, this goes on undetected for a long time till the swelling and bleeding becomes strong. This must be treated promptly otherwise it may even lead to total tooth loss. Gingivitis is mostly caused by poor oral hygiene.

  1. Swollen Gums during Pregnancy:
    When you are pregnant, your body undergoes a lot of hormonal changes. This increases blood flow to the gums and leads to over swelling and irritation. As the body becomes too sensitive with the advancing pregnancy, the efficiency of the immune system comes down and it becomes unable to fight off bacteria causing gum infections, giving more chances for getting the gingivitis.
  2. Malnutrition:
    Your dental health is more dependents on the type of diet you take in and the amount of nourishment it is supplying your body. In general the oral health is dependent more on the availability of Vitamins and Minerals especially that of B Vitamins and Vitamin C. When the diet you are taking is not giving enough of these vital nutrients it causes swollen gums. When there is an acute shortage of Vitamin C, it causes scurvy, which leading to anemia and gum diseases. Thus, malnutrition becomes a cause of swollen gums.
  3. Infections:
    Infections caused by fungi and viruses are known to cause swollen gums. The attack of STDs or oral thrush, may be also reasons for gum swelling if not treated immediately.
  4. Food:
    Even the food we eat may cause swollen gums, if we eat sticky foods often and forget to clean the teeth and mouth completely. The remaining food particles that are deposited into the corners of the teeth or between them, decay and decompose due to increased bacterial activity and this leads to the spread of infection into the healthy gum pockets and swelling occurs as a result of this.
  5. Swollen gums with braces and the faulty dental restorations:
    When you undergo tooth restorations and rough margins are found along the edges of the restoration materials, these provide enough space for plaque to form and are not able to be cleaned easily. These areas become heavily infected and become chronically inflamed giving place to the swelling of your gums.
  6. Tooth misalignment:
    When misformed tooth is not treated, this condition becomes very serious and affects your oral health with frequent flares of infection manifested as swollen gums. Likewise, wide spaces that are found in the gums lining due to loss of gum or teeth, and the gaps caused due to improper gum restorations will give place for plaque buildup and gives a way for frequent gum swellings.
  7. Medications:
    Some medications you take may also lead to swollen gums, as a side effect. For instance, when you take medications for high blood pressure it is common to see an excess fibrous growth, giving an appearance as if the gum is swollen, and this is not actually due to infection, as it is not red in color as in other infected swollen gums.
  8. Swelling due to Abscesses:
    When there is a decay of tooth in your mouth and the same has reached the dental nerve, it is common to see a swelling near the root of the tooth due to the infection.

 

Signs and Symptoms of Swollen Gums

1. Heavy swells or bulging of gums along the gum line and around the teeth.

2. Discoloration of the gum tissue. Your gums turns into dark pink in color, light to medium shades of blue or purple color.

3. Have a thickening around edges of the teeth, making the teeth look submerged inside the gum tissue.

4. When you try to brush or floss your teeth, you experience a painful bleeding along the gum line. In some advanced cases, the bleeding starts for no apparent reason and refuses to stop for a long time.

5. Severe numbing pain around the teeth that slowly spreads to the entire jaw area and may even affect the sinuses above your jaw bones.

6. It is usual for the swollen gums to start with a little inflammation around your teeth and this becomes the first sign of an impending problem, and you have to take immediate steps to treat the condition to help you avoid other serious health problems that usually follow the swollen gums.

Swollen Gums treatment:

Swollen gums treatment
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Though there are many types of treatments for gingivitis and periodontal conditions, consulting your dentist is a must and you should not postpone this. However, the real treatment for the swollen gums has to be started by you and this includes:

  • Brushing and flossing of your teeth with a gentle massage of the swollen area, but never do it in such a way as to cause irritation.
  • Use warm water mixed with salt and rinse your mouth repeatedly, this is good to bring down the bacteria build up in your mouth.
  • Drink more water for flushing down the bacteria and this is necessary to increase the production of saliva that has the power to kill bacteria.
  • Never take strong chemical based irritants, and stop any use of tobacco or alcohol.
  • Use a cold compress on the area of inflammation to reduce the pain and the swelling of your gums.
  • For managing the severe pain that accompanies with the swelling you have to take pain killers.

Apart from this your dentist will find out if any further correction in your teeth line is necessary, and if needed, do all the needed corrections and modifications, so that there is no chance of getting back gingivitis or infection on your teeth and gums that surround them.

Swollen back gums:

Many times, this happens in young adults during the emergence of their wisdom teeth. During this process, the bacteria get into the opened gum pockets and cause infection with severe pain and swelling.

When you have swollen back gums, you will have severe pain caused by infection and swelling in the gum tissue that surrounds the wisdom teeth, and you may feel a bad taste in the mouth and suffer due to your inability to open your mouth. If the pain has spread to jaw and cheek, you have to go to your dentist to take antibiotics and medicine to control your pain.

Swollen gum around one tooth or an abscessed tooth:

It is caused by a damaged tooth or an untreated cavity or pre-existing gum diseases. This is due to the formation of an abscess in the damaged gum pocket due to the deposit of food particles and growth of bacteria in them.

When left untreated, this leads to the dissolving of the jaw bone and eventual loosening of the tooth and it may fall off. When your dentist finds that you are suffering from an abscessed tooth, he will give you anti-biotics to clear the infection, and if needed take steps to drain off the infection.

Swollen gums home remedy:

Swollen gums treatment
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There are many ways to treat and cure gingivitis at your home. By using these home remedies for swollen gums, you can easily get better soon and prevent the recurrence of this dreadful oral condition. Some of the well known home remedies for swollen gum are:

  1. Mix clove oil with black pepper and you can also use clove oil to bring down the swelling and pain.
  2. Apply the paste made of ginger and salt on the affected area and you can get immediate relief
  3. Add lemon juice to a glass of boiling water and rinse your mouth with it, and if you add Rose flower essence to this mixture, it will be good for managing your pain.
  4. Rinse your mouth with salt water to get temporary relief from swollen gums and tooth pain associated with it.
  5. Baking soda can be applied to the area affected and if you add turmeric extract to this, it does a lot of good in finding good relief to swollen gums.

Thus, gingivitis or swollen gums is a serious oral condition and you have to consult your dentist as soon as possible. When you fail to treat this condition, it may lead to serious oral health problems. So, find the real causes of swollen gums, take the right treatment and above all maintain a good level of oral care in a consistent manner so that you can enjoy your teeth for a long time without any health problems.