Swollen Gums Around Tooth

Well, recent research pronounces that a taxing mood can toll your gums. Stress, anxiety or depression -- if not curbed on time -- may lead to a wavering routine of oral hygiene. Besides, elevated stress levels can hamper the level of hormones; particularly cortisol. This form of fluctuation of the hormone may lead to inflammation and resultant swelling of gums.

Swollen gums can be quite a discomforting condition to deal with. It is one of the most common symptoms seen in many gum diseases. There are two types of swellings seen in gums: (1) Swellings due to abscess; and (2) Fibroid swellings. Most of the swellings seen in the oral cavity are due to abscesses as fibrous swellings are very rare and are mostly idiopathic.

One of the most common causes of swollen gums is poor oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene is where the person does not brush regularly and maintain care about his dental health, which can easily lead to food lodgment in the gums. These lodged food particles become breeding grounds for bacteria which eventually causes swollen gum infections. 

This is especially seen in cases where there are tight contact between the teeth due to which the bristles of the brush cannot reach the inter-dental gums. Furthermore, when there is tooth decay, the caries may reach the root canal, which will eventually cause a tooth abscess when left untreated, which will result in swollen gums.

Sometimes, crowns that are fabricated and given to patients are either too tight or impinge too much on the gums. In such cases, the continuous irritation of gums, leads to inflamed and swollen gums. Besides, certain other dental prosthesis, like ill-fitting removable partial dentures or dental bridges may also lead to swollen gums.

Nowadays, a lot of people are taking to eating refined foods, which have only sugar in them. Such a diet not only leads to higher chances of caries and other dental problems but also leads to a higher risk of periodontal diseases. Foods that are high in fiber, like apples and other fruits, raw vegetables etc.) require a lot of chewing which helps to massage and strengthen the gums.

Other causes include nutritional deficiencies -- like lack of vitamin C, and smoking both of which are often coupled with poor oral hygiene. Swollen gums may also manifest as a result of side effects of certain drugs, like diltiazem, amlodipine, felodipine, phenytoin, etc. In certain cases, there is even idiopathic hypertrophy of gums seen. 

Vigorous brushing may also lead to bleeding gums which may swell up eventually. Sometimes, hormonal changes during pregnancy may also cause swollen gums.

☞ There are various remedies that can be used, but most importantly the person will need to deal with the actual cause of swollen gums, before merely treating the symptom. Firstly, it's important to try to strive toward making dental care your top priority. For this, needs to brush and floss regularly. The importance of flossing cannot be stressed enough.

Most people take it very lightly and do not floss on a regular basis. Flossing can prevent accumulation of food in the inter-dental spaces and thus, prevent the occurrence of swollen gums.

☞ If a person feels that his crown is impinging on his gums, causing pain and irritation, he should visit his dentist immediately, as delaying such a procedure might lead to receding gums.

☞ If the swollen gums around the tooth started showing up after you started taking certain medications, then it is best to visit your doctor and ask for a replacement drug. If you cannot pinpoint the cause of swelling, then it is best to visit a dentist and get the condition diagnosed and treated at the earliest. For idiopathic hypertrophy of gums, the dentist can perform a gingivectomy as a last resort to treat the condition.

☞ If a person is smoking ... he should stop doing so, because after a while, not only will he have caused irreversible damage to his teeth and gums, but also to his lungs. It is equally important to maintain a healthy diet and good lifestyle, as these are the best prevention measures.

This condition can often be very unsightly and can cause a lot of problems while maintaining oral hygiene, hence, it is best to try to treat this condition at the earliest, before any further complications take place.