Gum Pain

Gum pain, a common problem of the mouth and jaw, is accompanied by pain and swelling around the jaws and the teeth. It emanates from jaw or tooth problems like diseased jaw, exposed tooth root, cracked tooth or a dental cavity. In this condition, most of the time pain increases while chewing food or brushing teeth. Moreover, the gum feel tender at times. Even though, swelling or gum pain is not a disease in itself, this may indicate some underlying condition and should be taken as your body's way of warning you. As soon as possible, you need to get it diagnosed to know the condition that is causing gum pain. This way, you can opt for appropriate treatment so as to cure the underlying problem rather than only relieving the pain.

Gum Pain Causes

Swelling, pain or inflammation of the jaws and gum may indicate that you may be suffering from gum diseases like a fungal infection (due to monilia albicans), gingivitis or pyorrhea. Other than that it may be due to common causes like dental abscess, dental cavities, tooth root sensitivities, temporomandibular disease and cracked tooth syndrome. Most of the time gum pain begins gradually and over time your oral health would deteriorate.

Dental Cavities
Dental cavity is one of the most common reasons for toothaches. When there are small holes on the enamel and dentin, i.e. outer layers of the teeth, they are called dental cavities. The outermost white and hard surface is the enamel whereas the layer below the enamel is the dentin which is soft and yellow in color. These layers protect the inner tissues which comprise nerves and blood vessels of the tooth. In the mouth, there are some bacteria which have the capacity to change sugars into acid. The dentin and the enamel are dissolved by these acids which results in the formation of cavities. Many a time, there may be small cavities which may go unnoticed as they do not cause pain. However, if the cavities are large food may get collected or stuck in them and you may experience pain.

Gum Disease
Gum diseases are the next common reason for gum pain. In case of a gum disease the soft tissues would be inflamed and there would be loss of bones surrounding the teeth. The main reason for the cause of gum disease is the secretion of toxins by bacteria present in the mouth, which accumulates in the gum line. The accumulated material is a mixture of bacteria, saliva and food. In the early stages of gum disease the teeth may bleed but may not cause pain. If there is pain it signifies that the gum disease is in a more advanced stage and it may be accompanied by bone loss around the teeth.

Sensitive Tooth Root
Chronic diseases of the gum, due to sensitive root of the tooth, may also add to the pain of gum. The roots comprise the lower 2/3 portion of the teeth and are buried inside the bone. The toxins released by bacteria dissolves the root bone and as a result the bone start to recede thereby exposing the roots. Since the bone and gum no longer protects the tooth root, it becomes sensitive to sour foods, cold and hot foods. It may be so severe that you may avoid sour or cold foods.

Temporomandibular Disorder
If the temporomandibular joints are infected it may cause gum pain, especially in the front of the ears. Temporomandibular joint pain can also be due to traumatic experience like blow on the face, chronic or inflammatory arthritis, or pushing back of the mandible towards the ears while swallowing or chewing. For this reason, you need to submit to an examination to know and treat the cause. Oral anti-inflammatory drugs are administered to treat temporomandibular joint pain. Some of the other measures which may be applied include warm compress so as to relax the muscles and joints, eating soft food and aerobic exercises.

Gum Pain Relief

If gum pain is caused due to small dental cavities, they may be treated by filling those cavities and in case of large cavities a crown is fitted. If the cavity has penetrated and exposed the blood vessels and nerves of the tooth, either the tooth is extracted or a root canal procedure is performed. In a root canal procedure dying tissue is removed and is replaced with an inert material.

If gum disease is the cause of gum pain, oral hygiene is the key treatment involves removing the bacterial plaque. If the gum disease is in advanced stage, thorough cleaning of the root and the teeth is required. The cleaning process is called subgingival curettage and root planing. In root planing the plaque formed due to accumulation of saliva, bacteria and food is removed. On the other hand subgingival curettage refers is the process wherein the inflamed layer of the tissue is removed.

If exposure of the root is still at an early stage, it may be treated with the help of topical fluoride gels. Your dentist may also prescribe special toothpaste which contain fluorides. The surface layer of the root absorbs fluoride and makes the roots stronger.

Gum Pain after a Tooth Extraction

Often patients feel severe gum pain after tooth extraction. Tooth extraction is a process wherein a tooth is removed from its position by a surgical procedure. Tooth extraction may be done if any of the above mentioned procedure does not succeed. This may happen, if your tooth is badly damaged or fractured and cannot be saved. In some cases there a tooth blocks another from coming out for which an extraction may be required. Many a time gum pain is caused due to the growth of wisdom teeth. A person, in such a situation, suffers from severe pain due to which the tooth needs to be extracted. Gum pain after tooth extraction is a common phenomena and lasts for some days. Usually, your doctor would prescribe an antibiotic to prevent infection and a painkiller so as to relieve pain associated with tooth extraction.

Thus gum pain may be caused due to several reasons; the most common being gum disease and dental cavities. Gum diseases are caused due to unhygienic oral conditions that can be avoided easily. It may also be because of you own doing, if you believe in vigorous teeth brushing. Such an act damages the teeth enamel. As with all medical conditions it is the doctor who knows best, so consult your doctor before taking any medications for gum pain relief.