Your Denver dentist realizes that during the busy holiday season, it’s common for new ailments and illness to appear. You’re stressed, exhausted, and over extended: your body won’t be feeling as healthy as usual. One persistent winter concern is swollen gums. Gum swelling can be cause by a multitude of factors, ranging from mild irritation to chronic grinding to ill-fitting dentures to insufficient nutrition to periodontal disease. In this article, your Denver dentist details ways to understand the cause of your gum swelling, treat gum swelling, and heal swollen gums.
How to treat swollen gums:
- Try to determine the cause of your swollen gums. Have you been eating poorly? Brushing and flossing too roughly, or not often enough? Are there other areas of your mouth that are inflamed or painful? Has anything changed recently in your oral hygiene habits or diet? Considering the potential causes of your gum swelling will help both you and your dentist approach the problem and bring your gums back to health.
- Brush your teeth well, and 2-3 times per day. Brushing your teeth removes plaque from your mouth, which helps fight against tooth decay. Your swollen gums are potentially caused by gingivitis, an inflammation of gum tissue due to excess plaque, which can progress to periodontitis. Sufferers of periodontitis will likely need a Denver oral surgeon to heal their oral tissues. Avoid all this: brush and floss regularly! If you’re just returning to flossing after a break, your gums may be sore, bleed slightly, or inflamed for the first week. Keep flossing and your gums will readjust!
- Ensure that your diet is varied and rich in vitamin C. Poor nutrition will cause gum inflammation (among other issues). Take a daily multi-vitamin, and eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Get enough sleep. Exhaustion causes puffiness across your face and in your gums.
- Rinse out your mouth to soothe gum tissues. Careful what you rinse with: the swollen gums could be due to sensitivity to a harsh antibacterial mouthwash. Try using a warm saltwater rinse (1 tsp salt mixed with a glass of warm water) – this will relieve pain and help with swelling. Let your Denver dentist know what mouthwash you’ve been using, and we will help you find one appropriate for your teeth.
- Visit your Denver dentist for a teeth cleaning and examination. Swollen gums can be the manifestation of a more severe dental problem like periodontitis or tooth decay. Your dentist will be able to tell exactly what’s going on in your mouth and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Prevent gum disease and heal your swollen gums by visiting your Denver dentist. Although you may be able to temporarily alleviate gum pain at home with the above tips, it is imperative that your visit your Cherry Creek dentist to understand exactly why your gums are swelling.