Swollen Gums Causes

The condition of abnormally large, bulging or protruding, swollen gums is quite a common phenomenon involving the triangular-shaped bits of gums between two consecutive teeth. Sometimes the swelling even hides the teeth from view. A person with swollen gums will experience severe pain, also accompanied by bad breath. The color of the gums transforms from fresh pink to flushing red and is vulnerable to bleeding, even by slight provocations.

Plaque Buildup
Due to poor oral hygiene, a thin film of food and bacteria develops on the tooth surface, called plaque. Long-term effects of plaque deposition on the exposed parts of the teeth cause tooth decay, which if not treated result in irritated and inflamed gums. The bacteria and toxins produced by plaque cause the gums to get swollen, infected and tender. This condition is called gingivitis and is a form of periodontal disease. The swelling is actually caused by the accumulation of white blood cells and fluids in the gums due to their efforts of fighting the bacteria.

Vitamin C Deficiency
Lack of vitamin C in the body can result in mouth ulcers and swollen gums. Scurvy, the condition of bleeding gums is caused due to a deficiency of vitamin C. Lack of other B vitamins, folic acid and calcium can also lead to such swollen gums. Malnutrition can also cause swollen gums, so it is important to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet.

Herpes Virus
Kissing or having oral sex with a partner who is carrying sexually transmitted herpes virus can result in swollen gums. Blisters are also seen to develop on the gums and tongue. This can be extremely painful.

Stuck Food Particles
Sometimes food particles seem to get lodged between the gums and the teeth, which may cause swelling in a particular area. If the particle is quickly removed, the swelling will subside, however, if infection has begun, then it needs to be treated to reduce the swelling.

Use of Strong Toothpastes
Sometimes strong toothpastes and alcohol-based mouthwashes cause the gums to swell. To prevent such swelling, one should just stop using such strong oral products and resort to natural based tooth care products.

Poor Fitting Dentures
Due to small movements made due to poorly fitting dentures, the gums can swell. In such cases, the dentist needs to be consulted to remove the dentures. Moreover, people with poorly done tooth cavity fillings and braces often have food particles trapped between the teeth and have rostrums for the bacteria to grow.

Pregnancy
During pregnancy (1st or 2nd trimester), the blood circulation in the body to the gums increases, due to the high levels of progesterone and estrogen in the blood. This causes the gums to become sensitive, swollen and red. This also happens a lot during puberty.

Besides the above-mentioned list of causes, some of the other causes are infection by a virus or fungus, side effect of a drug such as dilantin or phenobarbital, swollen tonsils, leukemia, abnormal growth, tumors or some other serious gum diseases.

Depending on the swollen gums causes, the treatment will vary. Once the root cause has been dealt with, the swelling will go away. Since periodontal diseases can result in even teeth loss, it is important to have the dentist check and treat you. Moreover, the infection in the gums can spread to the rest of the body, via the blood stream. Therefore, it is essential to consult the dentist as soon as possible. To prevent recurrence of the condition, one needs to practice good oral hygiene habits. Hence, wash your mouth after eating and drinking and brush and floss twice a day.