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What does swollen gum indicate?
Swelling in the gum or swollen gum is a typical symptom of gum disease. But according to experienced dentists’ soreness and inflammation in the gum may cause for a number of reasons. These can be any infection, hormonal imbalance in the body, vitamin deficiency and other such factors. The condition of swollen gums can be temporary as well as permanent depending on the specific reason behind it.
Typical appearance of swollen gums
When you develop swelling in the gum tissues the area may have a reddish or purplish appearance. According to experts this occurs because of increased flow of blood to that area. Usually gum swelling is accompanied by bleeding and the gums may also turn smooth or shiny.
What factors cause the gum to swell?
There can be various causes behind swelling gum. To know the exact cause, it is necessary to undergo a diagnosis by an expert. Most often dental issues are found to be behind the condition although underlying conditions of one’s physical health may also be responsible for it, as it is found in some cases.
Usual dental causes that lead to the condition include the following –
- Development of an abscess in the tooth
- Something accidentally gets stuck in the gum, for example a popcorn hull
- Gum disease (both the early and the advanced stages of gum infection, namely gingivitis and periodontitis respectively, usually lead to the symptom of swelling in the gums)
- Gingivostomatitis – it is a bacterial or a viral infection that occurs in the mouth
- Trench mouth – this is a severe gum disease
- Fracture of the tooth root
- Poorly fitted dentures
- Advanced decay of the tooth
- Various orthodontic treatments
- Some kind of infection in the tooth
According to dentists having years of experience in providing treatment to swollen gums in London other than the factors mentioned above in certain cases certain objects may get under the gums, like certain foods and dental cement, etc.
Factors other than dental that lead to this condition include the following –
- Fungal infections, like thrush for example
- Deficiency of vitamin B
- Deficiency of vitamin C or scurvy (this is actually the condition of severe deficiency of vitamin C in the body)
- Certain viral infections like oral herpes, HIV and others
- Certain medicinal side effects
- Heavy smoking or use of tobacco products
- Blood cancer like leukaemia
- Unmanaged blood sugar
In addition to the ones mentioned above it could also because of fluctuation of hormone levels during puberty, pregnancy and menopause, etc.
Treatment for swollen gums
Choosing the right gum swelling treatment depends largely on the underlying cause in a given case. if the underlying cause is gum disease hen a dentist or a periodontist will provide the treatment of gum disease to a patient. The common treatments that are used to handle cases of swollen gums include the following –
- Prescribing antibiotic medications
- Osseous surgery which helps reducing pockets of harmful bacteria around your mouth
- Procedures like tooth scaling and root planning (also known as deep dental cleaning)
- Properly brushing and flossing the teeth more frequently
- LANAP or laser assisted new attachment procedure
If the swelling is just around a single tooth, then it could be a case of dental abscess. In such cases a root canal treatment (also called RCT) is the usual remedy although in severe cases a dental professional may recommend tooth extraction. When you suffer from swollen gums but you are clear of gum disease in that case it is the responsibility of the dentist to identify the underlying cause. They usually recommend tests in such circumstances to find out the actual cause behind the condition. Once the actual cause gets detected they recommend the suitable treatment to give you relief.
Easy and effective home remedies to cure swollen gums
If your gums remain swollen for over two weeks at a stretch, you should take the mater seriously and schedule an appointment with your dentist without waiting any more. Meanwhile you may also try out certain remedies at home to ease the symptoms –
- Brush and floss the teeth carefully every day
- Rinse the mouth thorough several times a day with lukewarm saltwater
- Consider applying an ice pack to the face to reduce the swelling and inflammation
Does swelling in the gum go away?
Proper treatment is necessary to remove swelling from the gums. In some cases, swollen gums get cured on its own without any treatment. When swelling occurs because a food particle is stuck to the gum, the swelling gets cured once the food particle is removed. But if swelling causes because of an infection or a disease then you need proper treatment to get cured. Gum disease – for example – does not go away without proper treatment. The sooner the right treatment for gum inflammation is given the faster you can expect complete recovery.
When to go to a healthcare provider for the problem
If the swelling in your gum lasts more than a couple of weeks then you should report the matter to either your dentist or a periodontist. Prompt treatment irrespective of the underlying cause for the problem can prevent it from getting worse. On the other hand, if your experience bitter pain that does not get better even with over-the-counter pain medications, you must immediately go to a dentist without any delay.
It is normal to have swollen gums with braces
When you get your braces brushing and flossing the teeth become almost impossible. In absence of proper brushing and flossing you may have build-ups of dental plaques around the wires and brackets placed in the mouth. This is one of the common swollen gum causes for those undergo orthodontic treatments. The only way to avoid this condition is brushing and flossing the teeth effortlessly every single day. These days, many easy-to-use appliances are there to make your brushing and flossing efforts effective while wearing braces to the teeth. These appliances include inter proximal toothbrushes, dental picks and floss threaders, etc. You should consult your dentist at Emergency Dentist London Pro about using any of these appliances.
