Have you ever woken up and experienced painful gum? You are so curious to know the reason, so you take a look at the mirror and notice a swelling gum (gusi bengkak). Swelling gums can be so troublesome. This is because it can stay there for days or even weeks if not treated. Having severe pain due to swelling gums can also affect your daily life activities. You will not be able to conduct your daily tasks when you try desperately to care about the pain. You must get treatment so that the pain and swelling go away. You can visit any nearby dental clinic and ask for their help.
However, it is often not smooth sailing. Your doctor will need to find the reason for your swelling gums (gusi bengkak) first before they can come out with a diagnosis. This is essential since the treatment will always depend on the diagnosis. So, what causes swelling gums? Here are some common causes that cause swelling gums:
- Poor dental hygiene. This is the commonest cause. Poor dental hygiene will likely cause food debris to be stuck between the teeth. This, in turn, can cause your gums to swell.
- Periodontal disease. Periodontal disease usually happens due to an infection. As a result, inflammation can happen, and this will make your gums swell.
- Periodontitis. This condition happens when periodontal disease is not treated. As a result, complication happens, and it will affect the teeth as well. This condition needs immediate dental treatment.
- Dental abscess. Sometimes, a collection of pus that develops inside your gums can be caused by infection and inflammation. This can also cause the gums to swell.
There are some common reasons also that can cause swollen gums. Those are: –
- Brushing too hard
- Canker sores
- Any friction from medical devices such as dentures or retainers
- Gingivitis which can also cause gums bleeding
- Oral thrush (a fungal infection causing yellowish-white appearances in the mouth)
- Periodontitis (a complication that arises if gingivitis is not treated adequately)
- Mouth cancer
After assessing your gums’ condition and doing some checks, your dentist will come to a diagnosis. Based on the diagnosis, he or she will usually decide on the best possible treatment available that is suitable for you.
Here are some of the common medical treatment for swelling gums:
1. Tooth scaling and polishing
As mentioned above, one of the commonest reasons for swelling gums is caused by poor dental hygiene. Hence, it is a wise idea to clean your teeth daily. You can opt to visit any nearest dental clinic and ask for tooth scaling and polishing. This procedure will obviously clean any unwanted debris and, as a result, makes your teeth cleaner and healthier.
2. Root planning
Root planning is also a dental cleaning procedure, but it is deeper when compared to tooth scaling and polishing. It will clean your teeth until the root. This procedure often needs a local anesthetic.
3. Antibiotics
If an infection or abscess causes your swelling gums, the best possible medical treatment you will receive is taking antibiotic drugs. Antibiotics are needed to control the infection and inflammation caused by the bacteria. In severe cases, you might need to stay for a few days in a hospital setting as the bacteria might already spread to your other organs.
4. Incision and drainage
In some cases, doctors may need to make an incision at your swelling gums to remove the abscess. Then, they will drain the pus using a specialized object.
5. Tooth extraction
If a problematic tooth causes your swelling gums, the best possible way available might be to remove the tooth. Your tooth can get infected, and if it does not receive adequate treatment, it will break and cause more trouble. This is why sometimes extracting the tooth altogether is a good way to remove any potential complications in the future.
The above mentioned are some medical treatments. But before doing this, you can go for some home remedies for light pain. They are as follows: –
Warm or cold compress
To help ease the swollen gums, you can do a compression method. To do this, you need to have a clean cloth first. Then, you can choose whether you want to do a warm or cold compression. It is just a matter of taste. If you like a warm compress, you can dip your cloth in warm water. Then just press the cloth on the area of pain from the swollen gums, such as the cheeks or lips. If you want a cold compression, you can just put some ice cubes in the cloth and do the same process.
Saltwater rinsing
Saltwater is a great home remedy. You can use salt water to help reduce the swollen gums as well. To do this, simply add a teaspoon of salt into the hot water. Make sure it is not boiling water. Then, you can take a sip of the water and gurgle it for a few seconds. Remember not to swallow the water. Do this at least twice a day till it gets better.
Tea bags
Tea contains an ingredient called tannins, which has an antibacterial property and is great in reducing swollen gums. Just soak the tea bag in hot water as usual, then take it out. After it has cooled down, you can just apply the tea bag directly to the swollen area.
Turmeric
Turmeric is another food that consists of antibacterial and also anti-inflammatory properties. You can make a turmeric paste by adding it with water. Apply it directly to the swollen area and leave it for 5 minutes.