Noticing a bump on your gums can be alarming, especially if it appears suddenly or feels painful. Gum bumps can have several causes — some are minor and temporary, while others may signal an underlying dental problem that needs emergency dental care. Understanding the possible reasons for a bump on your gums can help you determine when it’s time to schedule a dental appointment.

Dental Abscess

One of the most common reasons for a bump on the gums is a dental abscess. This is a pocket of pus caused by a bacterial infection, usually from untreated tooth decay, a cracked tooth, or severe gum disease. Abscesses may look like pimple-like bumps that can be red, swollen, and sometimes painful. They might drain fluid, giving you a bad taste in your mouth. An abscess is a serious dental issue that requires treatment as soon as possible, often involving drainage, antibiotics, and addressing the source of infection.

Canker Sores or Mouth Ulcers

Small, painful sores on the gums can also appear due to irritation, stress, or even minor injuries. These are usually canker sores (aphthous ulcers) and are not contagious. They often heal on their own within one to two weeks. While canker sores are not dangerous, frequent or unusually large sores should be checked by a dentist or doctor, as they may indicate an underlying health condition.

Irritation or Trauma

Sometimes, a bump can form simply because your gum tissue was irritated — for example, by braces, dentures, a sharp piece of food, or aggressive brushing. These bumps often heal quickly once the irritation is removed. Keeping the area clean with gentle brushing and warm saltwater rinses can speed up healing.

Oral Cysts or Growths

Less commonly, a bump on the gums may be a cyst, fibroma, or other benign growth. Cysts usually form when soft tissue or a tooth root becomes blocked and fluid collects in the area. While most of these growths are harmless, they can grow larger over time and may need to be surgically removed.

Signs of Gum Disease

In its early stages, gum disease (gingivitis) causes red, swollen gums that bleed easily. In more advanced cases (periodontitis), you may notice bumps or swellings caused by infection and buildup of bacteria beneath the gumline. Treating gum disease early is crucial to protect your teeth and bone health.

When to See Your Dentist

While some bumps on the gums are harmless and temporary, others can indicate infection or a more serious condition. If your bump is painful, lasts more than a week, grows larger, or is accompanied by fever or swelling in your face or jaw, schedule a dental visit right away.

Whether it’s a simple irritation or an abscess that needs urgent care, your dentist can diagnose the cause and recommend the right treatment to keep your mouth healthy.

About the Practice

Do you need quick relief? Does your smile need repairing? At Painesville Dental Group, we’ve got you covered! We’re available for same-day emergency appointments during evenings and weekends, and our friendly and well-trained dental team will offer you the very best care that you can get. Whether it’s a bump on your gum or some other issue, rest assured that we have a professional to offer expert treatment. Schedule an appointment with us online or call (440) 354-2183.

Are you heading out soon for a well-deserved summer break? Before you turn off that laptop and put your phone on ‘do not disturb’ don’t forget to make a list and check it twice to protect yourself from a dental emergency while you’re away with these helpful smile-saving summer vacation tips!

Root canals have a fierce reputation, but it is quite unwarranted. While you have probably seen this procedure portrayed as a miserable ordeal in movies and on television, these depictions are not true to life. The truth is that root canals are completely painless, but you may experience mild soreness for a few days after the procedure. Here’s a brief guide to what you can expect while recovering after receiving a root canal and how to tell if you should call your dentist for help.

When most people think of oral health issues, they picture cavities, gum disease, or maybe even bad breath. But few realize the mouth’s powerful connection to the rest of the body, particularly the brain. In rare cases, bacteria from the mouth can travel to the brain and cause brain abscesses, life-threatening infections that demand urgent medical attention. Understanding the link between oral bacteria and brain health underscores just how vital good dental hygiene truly is.

A new pair of dentures is something to celebrate! But before you can fully enjoy all the benefits of your restored smile, you’ll need to figure out how to make your prosthetics work for you. While they will eventually become like second nature, adjusting to dentures can take about a month, even if you’ve worn them previously.

Here are a few tips for easing the transition and getting used to eating and speaking with your new teeth!

In the last decade alone, the field of dentistry has progressed immensely. As a result, maintaining, restoring, and enhancing your smile is more convenient than ever. A great example of that is CEREC same-day dental crowns, which condense the entire process of restoring a badly damaged tooth into a single visit. If you want to learn more, then keep reading to learn the answers to four common questions about them!

Unfortunately, tooth loss can have a negative impact on several aspects of your life – from your diet and ability to communicate clearly to how confident you feel when meeting someone new. There is some good news though: dentures are custom-made for each patient to ensure they look great, feel natural, and function well. Plus, they can last for a decade or more! To prolong the lifespan of yours, avoid the below bad habits.

With dental insurance, you need to make sure that you fully understand the details. It’s easy to assume that you’ll have full access to all your benefits the moment you purchase your plan. However, you may find out that said plan comes with a waiting period. What exactly is a dental insurance waiting period, and what does it mean for your coverage? Here’s what you need to know.

If you’ve paid your premiums for your dental insurance, but haven’t visited your dentist, time is running out to use your coverage. Many people believe they can’t afford to go to a dentist, despite paying for dental insurance. This could not be further from the truth. Your dental insurance gives you access to affordable services to keep your teeth and gums healthy, lowering your overall oral health expenses. Here are a few things you need to know about your dental insurance to maximize your coverage before it is too late.

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Charcoal is one of the blackest things many people can imagine, so it might seem odd that some people are using it to whiten their teeth. Activated charcoal has become the latest detoxifying trend, and today you can find it in consumer products like supplements, shampoo, soap, and facial masks. While you may be able to brighten your teeth somewhat with activated charcoal toothpaste, this may also come with some significant downsides. Here’s why professional teeth whitening treatments from your dentist deliver superior results.