Gum Swollen around One Tooth
When you have had a hot cup of coffee and taken too big of a sip while it is still too hot, you have felt the discomfort of a swollen and tender mouth. Your gums are tender where they were exposed to the hot liquid, but may be fine in all other areas. Another way you may notice very localized swelling in your gums, is when you have swelling around only one tooth. There is not a single reason for this kind of swelling so we need to review the potential causes.
First, your gums may be swollen in one area as a result of poor hygiene at home between dental appointments. You should be brushing your teeth twice a day with a soft bristled toothbrush and flossing to remove buildup between teeth and along the gum line. Your dentist may recommend using an oral rinse when you are done to ensure that all remaining debris is washed out of your mouth. If you are not regularly following these guidelines, you may be developing gum disease. One of the common indications of gum disease is swollen, bleeding, tender, or red gums. You may be developing an infection from a piece of debris that has not been removed properly or you may already have an infection present and very serious below the gums. If you think you have an active infection, you may also notice pus leaking from that swollen gum area around that single tooth. Or you may even have a bad taste in your mouth or bad breath from the constant presence of that bacteria.
Gum disease develops when your dental care habits at home are not able to remove the plaque causing bacteria from your gumline. The plaque builds up, hardens, and then causes the gums to become irritated. The gums swell and separate from the tooth allowing more space for the bacteria to grow. If you are not able to properly clean one area of your mouth consistently, then that might be the area where you have swelling around one tooth only. You may have other symptoms like a sensitive tooth, bleeding gums, loose teeth, and tender gums.
An abscess is where you have an infection of a tooth below the gum line. It may be a result of gum disease or a cracked or damaged tooth that has not been repaired. An abscess will also leave you in pain with swelling in your gums or jaw. If the infection has progressed, then you may be experiencing a fever as well. The untreated infection will spread to your blood stream or jaw bone leaving you with even more serious and expensive problems. An infection will almost never clear up on its own without medical intervention.
If you already have swollen gums around one tooth, it is time to call the dentist for an appointment. The dentist will be able to determine the root cause of the swelling and provide you with a treatment plan to resolve it and relieve your discomfort.