You must have sound disease-free gums to enjoy sound oral health. Your gums protect the roots of your tooth or teeth and also perform several other crucial functions. But in any circumstance if your gums are puffy or swollen then that must be a matter of concern explain some of the top notch dentists in London. What makes the gums swollen? What the effective treatments to correct the condition? Let us try exploring these questions and few more along the following sections of the blog post. By the end of this post, you are expected to get sufficient clarity in dealing with gum problems and make informed decisions regarding resolution of such issues.
How do swollen gums look?
Swollen gums will show a reddish or purplish hue. This results from increased flow of blood to the tissues. The gums are also likely to bleed frequently and appear shiny or smooth.
What causes the gum to swell?
Swollen gums could result from factors like gum disease or gingivitis, incorrect flossing, hormone fluctuations and even malnutrition. Now let us explore each of the factors separately.
Gingivitis
- Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease, says a dentist with years of experience in providing treatment to swollen gums. It results from plaque build-ups around the teeth contribute with developing an infection in the gums.
- The condition is characterised by reddish, swollen and painful gums. The gums may also bleed easily especially while brushing the teeth.
- Gingivitis or its symptoms should never ever be taken lightly. Conditions of swollen gums and gingivitis must be addressed in their initial stages. You must enhance your dental hygiene at home and also receive professional cleaning of the teeth from a dentist’s office at regular intervals to overcome the problem.
- If you ignore gingivitis, in course of time it leads to more severe periodontal disease. You may even end up with losing your natural teeth in the process.
Dental abscess
- When the condition of gingivitis is left ignored and untreated, it often progresses to a more serious bacterial infection in the root of the tooth. This is how the condition of dental abscess comes up.
- An abscess in the tooth is a pocket filled with pus and results from a severe infection. If you suspect you may have developed a tooth abscess, you must see a dentist right away emphasises a dentist who possesses years of experience in providing gum swelling treatment. The condition is potentially severe and the infection easily spreads to other parts of your body.
- When a dental abscess reaches a severe stage patients develop fever, reddishness and swelling in the gum, severe pain in the mouth that may remain persistent. All these symptoms indicate you have developed an oral abscess.
Hormonal level fluctuations
- Sore gums are also common during puberty, menstruation and pregnancy. Fluctuations in hormonal levels play a role in these cases. Your gums are densely packed with blood vessels. These blood vessels transport much-needed oxygen and nutrients to the roots of the teeth and this is how your teeth stay strong and healthy.
- During puberty, menstruation or pregnancy, hormone levels in the body like oestrogen and progesterone soar much beyond the normal levels explains a dentist who provides cure for swollen gums over the years. As a result more blood flows to the gums and the gums turn more sensitive to the agents of irritation.
- When oestrogen and progesterone levels are soaring, the gums overreact to the presence of harmful plaques. This is how you get swollen, irritated and bleeding gums which are the typical symptoms of gum disease.
- Once the hormone levels in the body become normal, swelling in the gums also subside. But still it is critical to take additional care of your teeth, gums and the overall mouth.
- In fact this is how you become more prone to develop gingivitis and particularly pregnancy gingivitis. The least you can do to avoid these unwanted complications is brush and floss the teeth properly to clear away plaque build-ups and other debris from the mouth.
Condition of contact dermatitis
- Your toothpastes, mouthwashes and even sugar-free gums you chew contain chemicals. Your mouth may at times react to the presence of those chemicals and your gums undergo swelling as a result, explain dentists who provide gum inflammation treatment in London over the years. Dentists call these cases of oral contact dermatitis. It involves a rare cause of inflammation of the gums.
- Typical symptoms involved in the condition of oral contact dermatitis include a tongue that constantly irritates, sores around the mouth, stinging and peeling of the lips and swelling in the gum tissues. Metals that are used in various dental procedures may cause inflammation and inflamed gums. When toothpastes and gum additives are concerned, usually balsam and cinnamon are found to be the common suspects behind this problem.
- If you suspect you have developed oral contact dermatitis, then first switch products that you use suggest a dentist who provides treatment to swollen painful gums across the years. Hopefully the problem will subside with switching over to different products. If it lingers in that case you should go and see a dentist or a doctor.
Side effects of certain medications
- Certain drugs or medications may also lead to swollen or irritated gums. Typical categories of medicines that usually trigger this problem of swollen gums include medicines to regularise your blood pressure, oral contraceptives, immune suppressants, medicines prescribed to chemotherapy patients and others.
- If your gums enlarge under effect of any medication, you must consult the matter with your medical practitioner or dentist. They will provide you with the right solutions to overcome the problem.
Treatment for swollen gums
Several treatment options are there to deal with the problem of swollen gums. Selecting a particular treatment options depends much on the underlying issue behind the problem. Some of the frequently recommended dental treatments for sore gums are –
- Antibiotic medications
- Proper brushing and flossing of the teeth in a more frequent manner
- Deep dental cleaning (the procedure involves teeth scaling and root planing
- Osseous surgery – which minimises pockets around the teeth explain dentists working at the renowned Dental Clinic Chelsea in London
- LANAP or laser assisted novel attachment process