SymptomMouth & teeth
Gum Swelling
Gum swelling is puffiness of the gum tissue, often with redness, tenderness or bleeding when you brush. The pattern is the best clue: swelling all along the gums usually means gingivitis from plaque, or hormonal or medicine effects, while a swelling around one tooth suggests trapped food, an erupting wisdom tooth or a dental abscess. Most cases improve with better cleaning and a dental visit. Facial swelling, fever or trouble swallowing needs urgent care.
Also called: Swollen gums, gingival swelling, puffy gums, gingival enlargement, gum lump
At a glance
- What it is
- Enlarged, puffy gum tissue, generalized or around one or a few teeth.
- Most common cause
- Gingivitis from plaque buildup.
- Around one tooth
- Trapped food, abscess, wisdom tooth infection (pericoronitis), periodontal pocket infection.
- All over
- Gingivitis, pregnancy, medicines (phenytoin, cyclosporine, some blood pressure drugs), mouth breathing, rarely leukemia or scurvy.
- Treatment
- Brushing and flossing, professional cleaning, drainage and antibiotics for infection, treating the cause.
When to get help
Call 911 or go to the ER
- Swelling spreading into the cheek, under the jaw or down the neck, with trouble swallowing, breathing or opening the mouth
- Swelling under the tongue that raises it, or drooling
See a doctor within a day or two
- A painful gum lump or pimple near a tooth with fever, a bad taste or pus
- Swelling and pain around a partly erupted wisdom tooth with difficulty opening the mouth
- Swollen, bleeding gums with unexplained bruising, nosebleeds, fatigue, fever or night sweats
- Painful swollen gums with mouth ulcers and fever in a child
Book a routine appointment
- Gums that bleed when brushing and look red and puffy for more than 2 weeks
- Gums slowly growing over the teeth after starting a new medicine
- A painless gum lump that has lasted more than 2 weeks
- Gum swelling in pregnancy that bleeds easily
Usually safe to manage at home
- Mild swelling with bleeding on brushing that improves with better cleaning over 1 to 2 weeks
- Brief soreness from food caught between teeth, relieved by flossing
What healthy and swollen gums look like
Healthy gums are firm, pale pink (or evenly pigmented brown in darker skin), with a scalloped edge that hugs each tooth and does not bleed. Swollen gums look rounded, shiny, red or purplish, and may bleed with brushing or flossing. In some conditions the gums enlarge so much they partly cover the teeth.
Swollen gum around one tooth
| Cause | Clues |
|---|---|
| Trapped food (popcorn hull, seed) | Sudden local swelling and pressure, relieved after flossing it out |
| Dental abscess | Throbbing pain, a pimple-like bump that may leak pus, bad taste, tooth sensitive to biting |
| Pericoronitis | Swelling over a partly erupted wisdom tooth, pain, bad taste, jaw stiffness |
| Periodontal abscess | Swelling beside a tooth with deep gum pockets, in someone with gum disease |
| Cracked tooth | Pain on biting with localized gum swelling |
| Irritation from a crown or filling | Swelling where a restoration edge traps plaque |
| Pyogenic granuloma | Red, soft, bleeding lump, often in pregnancy ("pregnancy tumor") |
Gum swelling all over
Gingivitis
The most common cause. Plaque bacteria along the gumline inflame the gums within days to weeks of poor cleaning. Gums become red, puffy and bleed easily but are usually not very painful. It is fully reversible. If ignored, it can progress to periodontitis, where the bone supporting the teeth is lost. See gum disease.
Hormonal changes
Pregnancy, puberty, the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives make gums react more strongly to plaque. Pregnancy gingivitis affects a large share of pregnant women, usually from the second month.
Medicines
Some drugs cause gum overgrowth (drug-induced gingival enlargement):
- phenytoin and some other anti-seizure medicines
- cyclosporine, used after transplants
- calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine and amlodipine
Good oral hygiene reduces it. Do not stop the medicine yourself, but ask your doctor whether an alternative exists.
Infections
- Herpetic gingivostomatitis: in young children, painful swollen gums with mouth ulcers, fever and drooling
- Necrotizing gingivitis (trench mouth): painful, bleeding gums with gray dead tissue between the teeth and foul breath, linked to stress, smoking and weak immunity
Systemic causes
- Leukemia: especially acute myeloid leukemia, can cause gums to swell and bleed, with tiredness, bruising and infections
- Scurvy: severe vitamin C deficiency causes swollen, bleeding, spongy gums, mostly in people with very limited diets. See scurvy
- Diabetes: poorly controlled diabetes increases gum infections
- Mouth breathing: dries out the front gums, making them puffy
How a dentist finds the cause
The dentist examines the gums and teeth, measures pocket depths around each tooth with a probe, checks for loose teeth and takes X-rays to look for bone loss, abscesses or impacted wisdom teeth. Blood tests may be advised if swelling is widespread and unexplained, especially with bleeding, bruising or fever. A biopsy is done for a lump that does not resolve.
Treatment
Home care for mild swelling
- Brush twice daily for 2 minutes with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste, angling the bristles toward the gumline.
- Clean between teeth daily with floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser. Bleeding usually lessens within 1 to 2 weeks.
- Rinse with warm salt water (half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of water) 2 to 3 times a day to soothe sore gums.
- Antiseptic mouthwash such as chlorhexidine can help short term; your dentist may recommend it.
- Pain relief: ibuprofen or acetaminophen (paracetamol) following the label dose.
- Cold compress on the cheek for painful swelling.
- Stop smoking, which worsens gum disease and hides bleeding.
Do not put aspirin directly on the gum, which burns the tissue.
Professional treatment
- Scaling and cleaning to remove hardened tartar
- Deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) for periodontitis
- Draining an abscess, root canal treatment or extraction
- Antibiotics for spreading infection or fever
- Cleaning under the gum flap or removing a wisdom tooth for pericoronitis
- Surgical trimming of overgrown gums when needed
Preventing swollen gums
- Daily brushing and cleaning between teeth
- Dental checkups and cleanings every 6 to 12 months, more often with gum disease
- Good blood sugar control in diabetes
- A diet with fruit and vegetables for vitamin C
- Extra attention to cleaning during pregnancy
Frequently asked questions
Why is my gum swollen around one tooth?
The most common reasons are food stuck between the teeth, a dental abscess, an infected wisdom tooth flap (pericoronitis) or a gum pocket infection. If flossing does not relieve it within a day, or you have pain, pus or fever, see a dentist.
How do you get rid of swollen gums fast?
Floss out any trapped food, rinse with warm salt water, brush gently but thoroughly along the gumline and use a cold compress for pain. Over-the-counter pain relief helps. Swelling from gingivitis improves within 1 to 2 weeks of good cleaning. Infections need a dentist.
Can swollen gums go away on their own?
Swelling from trapped food or mild gingivitis often resolves with improved cleaning. Swelling from an abscess, wisdom tooth infection or medicine-related overgrowth does not resolve on its own and needs dental treatment.
Are swollen gums a sign of something serious?
Usually they are a sign of gingivitis, which is common and reversible. Rarely, widespread swollen and bleeding gums with bruising, fatigue or fever can signal leukemia, and spreading facial swelling can mean a serious infection. These need prompt medical care.
Why are my gums swollen during pregnancy?
Pregnancy hormones increase blood flow to the gums and exaggerate their response to plaque, causing pregnancy gingivitis with puffy, bleeding gums. Careful brushing, flossing and a dental cleaning during pregnancy help. Dental treatment is safe in pregnancy.
Sources
This guide was written from current patient and clinical guidance, including:
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy): Gum disease
- American Academy of Periodontology: Gum disease symptoms
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: Periodontal (gum) disease
- MedlinePlus: Gum swelling
- NHS: Gum disease