Is one of your teeth suddenly feeling sore? When you open your mouth to have a look, you might be surprised to see the surrounding gums swollen, even though they may have looked fine just yesterday. It may be a sign that you need to see a dental professional to address this sudden issue.
Why Do I Have Swollen Gums Around One Tooth?
Swollen gums are commonly a result of gingivitis (or periodontal disease), a fairly common gum condition characterised by swelling, irritation, redness, and bleeding of the gingiva, the gums around the base of your teeth. While swollen gums are often associated with issues affecting the whole mouth, it is also observed that some people experience swelling around a single tooth.
Poor oral care habits can affect your overall oral health and increase the risk of swollen gums, while fine food debris can find its way into the tiny gaps between your gums and teeth and gradually accumulate. As this occurs, it irritates the gums and creates an environment conducive to bacterial growth. Over time, this causes plaque to build up around the affected tooth, irritating the gums around the tooth and leading to symptoms such as swelling and bleeding.
If not promptly addressed, plaque can harden into tartar, which can only be treated with a professional dental cleaning. Both plaque and tartar may increase the risk of gingivitis, which may progress to periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease that can lead to gradual tooth loss.
Common Causes of Swollen Gums
Swollen gums are typically a sign of gum disease and may appear puffy and red. Your gums may also feel sore and tender, and they may bleed when you brush or floss your teeth. Swollen gums may result from certain factors.
Dental Concerns
Besides poor oral hygiene, other dental concerns can also lead to swollen gums around a single tooth. These may include:
- An abscessed tooth, a pimple-like pocket of pus, usually formed from a bacterial infection of the root canal of a tooth.
- A root fracture is a crack that forms beneath the gum line and is at risk of infection, which may result in swollen gums.
- An emerging wisdom tooth or complications involving an impacted wisdom tooth.
- Viral or fungal infection of the gums.
- Other non-dental health conditions, such as diabetes.
Food Debris
Food can occasionally get stuck between your teeth and gums, but over time, it can cause inflammation and decay that irritate the gums. In most cases, hard or fibrous food debris could be what causes this irritation, as it may press into the gums or teeth. It also creates an environment in which bacteria may thrive, gradually causing the affected gum area to swell. Over time, it may also cause gum disease if left untreated.
Oral Appliances
In some instances, you may experience swollen gums even after receiving orthodontic treatment, like braces. This may happen due to poorly fitted oral appliances or when dental plaque builds up around them over time.
Smoking
Smoking or using tobacco products is said to reduce the immune system’s ability to fight off gum infections, increasing the risk of swollen gums or even gum recession, where gum tissue recedes and exposes the tooth’s root.
Medication Side Effects
Some medications may reduce saliva production in the mouth, which could increase the odds of gum disease or dry mouth, leading to swollen gums around one tooth.
Can Perimenopause Lead to Swollen Gums?
Hormonal changes in your body can influence blood circulation to the gums, causing them to swell over time. Pregnancy, puberty, perimenopause, and menopause are particular conditions that can cause hormonal fluctuations. Perimenopause is also known as the menopause transition, occurring among women typically aged between their 30s and 50s, as their bodies prepare to stop having periods.
When perimenopause occurs, the levels of the reproductive hormones oestrogen and progesterone will fluctuate, causing a host of bodily changes that range from hot flashes and mood swings to swollen gums. The latter occurs as oestrogen also regulates your oral health, including saliva production, gum tissue, and blood circulation in oral tissues. As such, when hormone levels fluctuate, women may be more prone to swollen, tender, and bleeding gums.
How Dentists Treat Swollen Gums
If the swelling persists despite conservative treatments, such as antibiotic prescriptions, a dentist may need to closely examine your swollen gums and recommend a suitable treatment to provide lasting symptom relief.
Professional Dental Cleaning
A professional dental cleaning session is often the first line of treatment for mild to moderate gum disease. It involves scaling and root surface debridement, in which scaling removes plaque buildup above the gum line, while root surface debridement treats plaque and tartar below the gum line. Root surface debridement also helps the gums reattach to the teeth and prevents bone (and later tooth) loss.
Abscess Incision & Drainage
If a tooth abscess is causing your swollen gums, the dentist will perform minor surgery to treat it. The procedure involves making a small cut or incision into the abscess so the pus can be drained. It will then be washed clean with saline before the opening is allowed to heal on its own. If needed, the dentist may place an antiseptic dressing to keep the area open to drain while the swelling gradually reduces.
Root Canal Treatment
For more chronic abscesses or other dental complications, a root canal treatment may treat the root cause of your swollen gums and preserve the tooth. It is often recommended when the pulp, located inside the tooth, is inflamed or infected due to significant decay. The dentist will numb the surgical site with local anaesthesia and keep it clean and dry throughout the procedure.
Once they have accessed the pulp chamber and root canals, they will clean and disinfect the inside of the tooth, then fill and seal the root canals using rubber-like dental material. From there, the tooth is subsequently protected with a crown or filling to maintain its condition.
How to Prevent Swollen Gums
Preventive care is also important to maintain the results of your dental treatments and to address swollen gums around a single tooth.
Good Oral Hygiene
Maintain a regular oral hygiene routine by brushing and flossing your teeth frequently. Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day at a 45-degree angle, while brushing towards the gumline to remove any debris and keep them clean. You can also use mouthwash regularly to support your oral care.
Eat Well
It also helps to maintain a well-balanced diet, so your body receives adequate nutrition. Essential vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, are needed to keep the gums strong and healthy, helping the body maintain gum tissue at all times. Add more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet, while cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, and anything with a high fat or sugar content.
Regular Check-ups
See your dentist at regular intervals to stay up-to-date with your oral hygiene and prevent future dental complications. These regular sessions can provide you with valuable information that can support your dental care at home and enable the dentist to spot warning signs early, thereby reducing the risk of dental issues like swollen gums. If you are already experiencing mild symptoms, seek their assistance immediately to treat the cause and reduce the risk of future complications.
If you need dental support for swollen gums, An Dental can provide a thorough dental assessment, allowing our team to make targeted recommendations to support your dental health. Contact us today!
