Why Are My Gums Swollen? What You Need To Know
5 min readDo you have swollen gums? If you are searching for “Why are my gums swollen?” on Google, you have reached an article that can help you. This article will shed some light as to what causes inflamed gums, how gum disease relates to this and how to get rid of swollen gums. After reading the article, if you need help with inflamed gums, you can check this clinic for more information about treatment.
Causes Of Inflamed Gums
To answer the question set by this article, there are many possible causes of inflamed gums. First of all you should check with your dentist if your wisdom teeth are in a good state. Here is a list of the most common causes.
Gum Disease
Most of the time, gums become swollen because of gum disease. Gingivitis is the name given to the dreaded gum disease that causes gums to become swollen and irritated. The cause of gingivitis and other more serous forms of gum disease is poor oral health habits. If teeth aren’t cleaned properly, plaque and tartar will be allowed to build on the surface of the teeth and in the spaces in between the gums and teeth.
Plaque is a substance that forms when a person does not brush and floss properly and regularly. Plaque is a white coating on teeth that has bacteria feasting on the food particles left on the teeth. If plaque is left on teeth, it will later harden and turn into tartar. Gum disease can develop from both plaque and tartar.
Infections
There are many infections that are caused by diseases and viruses that can form in the mouth. These infections can lead to swollen gums if they are left untreated. An example is thrush. This is caused by excessive production of a natural yeast in the mouth. If thrush is not properly treated, it can lead to inflamed gums and dental abscess.
Pregnancy
Pregnant women have a ton of hormonal changes happening internally. In many cases, these changes in hormone levels can cause blood to rush to the gums, which makes them swollen. The oral health for pregnant women may also deteriorate as a whole because the hormones brought about by pregnancy will hinder the body’s ability to fight off bacterial infections.
Being Malnourished
If you are deficient in certain vitamins such as vitamin B and ascorbic acid or vitamin C, it can cause gum swelling. These vitamins are crucial for the maintenance and repair of the gums. If a person is not able to get the recommended amount of these vitamins, there will be an increased chance of having inflamed gums.
What Are The Treatment Options For Swollen Gums?
There are treatment methods that a person can use to get rid of swollen gums. Here is a list of treatment methods for swollen gums.
Home Treatment
Home remedies are meant to be easy to administer so that the person can get fast relief from swollen gums. If you notice that your gums are swollen or if you feel slight pain or discomfort in your gums, you can use these home remedies.
Salt Water Rinse
Salt has natural properties that make it a great way to soothe pain and discomfort and kill any bacteria that may be forming in the area. Salt water will also help with swollen and inflamed gums.
Avoid Irritating Your Gums
Gum disease may also get worsen if gums are irritated. Drinking alcohol, using harsh mouthwash or smoking should be avoided when you are trying to get rid of swollen gums.
Brushing And Flossing
It is important to clean your teeth and prevent any bacteria from growing in the area. However, you have to brush and floss gently. Swollen gums can worsen if they are brushed too harshly. This can be counter-intuitive to the healing process.
Increase Water Intake
Drinking more water will increase the saliva production in the mouth. Saliva can prevent bacterial growth from worsening because it can weaken it.
Warm Compress
A warm compress can help soothe any pain and discomfort as well as reduce any swelling in the gums and surrounding area.
See Your Dentist
If you have had swollen gums for an extended amount of time already without improvement, it may be a good idea to see your dentist. Your dentist will be able to tell you what caused your gums to be swollen and also recommend the best treatment method to get them back in good shape. If your gums have been swollen for over two weeks, see your dentist. They will most likely recommend one of the medical treatments listed below.
Medical Treatments
There are medical treatments that dentists may recommend or prescribe that can help people with severe cases of gum disease and swollen gums. Here is a list of medical treatments that can be used by dentists to cure gum disease and swollen and inflamed gums.
Prescription Oral Rinses
These special oral rinses are able to help prevent gingivitis, other worse cases of gum disease and plaque. If there is a bacterial infection in the gums, dentists may also prescribe some antibiotics that are to be used in tandem with the prescription oral rinses. If the case is extremely severe, dentists may also recommend only a specific brand of sensitive toothpaste to be used while the gums are recovering from the gum disease and swollen gums.
Surgery
In extreme cases, surgical intervention may be needed. If your dentist will notice that you have a severe case of gum disease, called periodontitis, sometimes there may be no cure that will work except for surgery.
How Can Swollen Gums Be Prevented?
The best way to combat swollen gums from happening is to practice good oral hygiene. Making sure that you brush and floss regularly, get rid of the food particles and other sediments that are left over from every meal, you will be able to prevent swollen gums, gingivitis and other more serious oral health issues from developing.
It is also important to make sure that you are able to keep up with the dental appointments set by your dentist. Visit your dentist at least one a year to allow your dentist to check if there are any dental issues, dentists will be able to prevent any potential oral issues from getting serious.
If you have swollen gums, red and irritated gums or if you have gum disease, it will do you good to try some of the home remedies that are listed above. However, if you notice that your gum disease and oral condition is getting worse, you should make it a point to see your dentist if your swollen gums and gum disease does not improve after two weeks.