White bumps, spots or swelling is an indicator of severe condition of the gums. It usually occurs due to increased bacterial infection and abscess forming lumps on the gums. The presence of a lump, or mass, on the gums can be indicative of several different conditions. Such a fact is contrary to popular beliefs that it could be due to oral cancers or tumors. It could also occur because of injury trauma, canker sores or changes in the hormones due to pregnancy.
Causes
The most common cause of these white bumps is contraction of diseases such as Gingivitis and periodontal disease which is a more serious form of gingivitis.
- Gum Disease: Gum diseases are mainly caused by poor dental hygiene that accumulates with inconsistencies in brushing the teeth and flossing. It further causes bacterial infect ion to accumulate which will eventually destroy the gums by entering the blood. However, inflammation can also cause white bumps on the gums. Symptoms of gum problems could be swelling and pain, loosening of teeth, foul breath and sensitive gums. In order to treat it at home, the mouth must be rinsed with a good antiseptic mouthwash. But most important is the timely diagnosis and medication.
- Mouth ulcers: Mouth ulcers are not only small white bumps but also yellowish spots. A single white bump is a sign of ulcers and multiple bumps indicate complex sores. High intake of acidic food is one of the reasons for canker sores making it difficult to eat or chew. Therefore while treating them one must stay away from hard food items and stick to soft or liquid foods.
- After effect of braces: Some people experience white bumps after putting their braces on. It is possible that the braces are stopping the right way of cleaning the teeth allowing bacteria to form. For people having braces, water piks are quiet helpful in cleaning.
Gum abscess and white bumps
The white bumps on gums are formed with the formation of pus sometimes also known as abscess. This can also destroy the bone underneath the affected area by creating a hole. This will only worsen the condition and that is why should be treated with utmost medical care at the right time. Also at times it is not felt or goes unnoticed as it doesn’t hurt but later give birth to severe throbbing and sensitivity as well as inflammation.
The swelling mostly takes place during the night time or overnight. Later, one might detect white spots on the gum that might hurt if touched with force. One can also face difficulty in opening the mouth due to inflammation and swelling. The accumulation of pus can also affect the taste buds.
Treatment
- Before going for medical help, one can apply salt water, rub the gums with salt or apply clove oil to lower down the pain. Pain killers such as ibuprofen or motrin can also help in reducing the pain but not in eliminating the infection. If even after using an antiseptic mouthwash the pus stays then medical help must be sought after immediately.
- An antibiotic therapy provides relief in a day or two and is one of the most popular treatments for periodontal abscess.
- Usually root planning and scaling is done to treat such infections but sometimes they don’t clean the canal system thoroughly.
- It is also essential to keep the teeth and root areas clean which will prevent bacterial accumulation.
- All of the mentioned steps are possible if one maintains regular dental visits for cleaning and other treatments.
- Gingivitis can become periodontitis later if timely measures are not taken. However, needing a dental emergency means that it has crossed the optimum level and the person is at an acute phase.
