Why Your Gum Tissue Is Swollen Around One Tooth
Posted on: 26 August 2020
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Along with your jawbone and periodontal ligaments, gum tissue helps to hold your teeth in place. And as long as you care for your oral health, your gums should remain healthy and pink. But sometimes, you might notice that one of the areas around a tooth becomes swollen and red. If you see this, it's important that you identify the cause before the problem worsens.
Look for the following causes when trying to identify swollen and inflamed gums.
Trapped Food
Awkward foods with sharp fragments, like popcorn and nuts, can sometimes lodge in the space between teeth and gum tissue. Likewise, pieces of meat from steak can lodge between teeth. If you recently ate one of the above foods or something similar, you might have some food lodged in your gum tissue or between your teeth.
Gently try to remove the lodged food with some floss. You could also use a toothpick but be careful not to damage your gum tissue. If you can't remove the food, the infection will worsen. This is because the food will begin to rot, and the bacteria living in your mouth will proliferate around the meat, irritating your gum tissue in the process.
See your dentist or a periodontist if you can't remove the object.
Gum Trauma
Gum trauma also causes swollen gums. But sometimes, the cause of the trauma isn't obvious. For instance, bruxism or nighttime tooth grinding can harm both your teeth and your gums. If one of your teeth suffered more pressure than the rest due to its location, then the gum tissue around that tooth might become swollen and inflamed.
Keep an eye on your gums. If they don't improve within a day, book an appointment with your dentist.
Gum Disease
The most serious condition to look out for is gum disease. The cause of gum disease is dental plaque. And dental plaque builds up around teeth because of poor dental hygiene. When you fail to remove the plaque from your teeth, the acidic content in it irritates your gum tissue. The first symptom of this irritation is swelling and inflammation.
Sometimes, the swelling only occurs around one tooth, but later spreads to other teeth if you don't improve your oral health. However, once your gum tissue starts to recede, what was once mild gum disease is beginning to progress to serious gum disease, which can cause your teeth to fall out later if left untreated.
If you have noticed that the gum tissue around one of your teeth is swollen, don't ignore the problem. It could be a sign of gum disease. See a periodontist or dentist if the problem persists.