Ulcer on the gum: causes, symptoms, treatment, first aid

Why do ulcers appear on the gums, and is it always dangerous?

There are many possible reasons. To understand how dangerous the appearance of certain lesions on the gums is, you need to look at additional accompanying symptoms:

in case it is trivial mechanical damage. The gums can be damaged by hard food, a toothbrush, or a foreign object. These lesions may resolve in 3-5 days. If a person does not brush his teeth, then infection is added to these damages, and healing may take several weeks.
Sometimes ulcers can appear as a result of wearing orthodontic structures, braces or removable dentures.

Laser removal of overgrown gums

Problem: a woman came to the clinic for dental prosthetics, but the remainder of the tooth was covered by heavily overgrown gums.

Solution: the overgrown gums were removed with a laser for subsequent dental prosthetics (in the photo after the prosthetics).

The patient who contacted the Family Dentistry had part of her tooth remaining, but prosthetic treatment was difficult due to overgrown gums. It was possible to prepare the tooth for a crown only after removing the gum that covered the remaining part of the tooth. The decision on the need to remove the overgrown gums and the possibility of subsequent prosthetics was made at a joint consultation with the participation of the surgeon, prosthetist and dental technician who will make the crown. It is this approach that guarantees Dial-Dent patients a good treatment result, especially in complex cases.

In addition to traditional surgical methods (scalpel), the Family Dental Clinic uses the PICASSO dental laser (USA) to remove part of the gum. Surgical treatment of gums at the Family Dental Clinic is carried out by periodontist surgeon I. I. Yakimenko, who has been trained to work with this dental laser and received a certificate.

The periodontist surgeon suggested that the patient use the possibilities of laser dentistry. Surgeries using a dental laser do not require pain relief and are virtually bloodless. A specially selected operating mode of the dental laser allows you to “deceive” the tissues in the area of intervention, anesthetizing them. The laser beam seals damaged vessels, stopping bleeding.

After surgery, using a different laser operating mode, tissue nutrition was stimulated for their speedy recovery. The wide range of applications of the dental diode laser allows it to be used both for dental operations and in the postoperative period, which significantly speeds up healing.

Removal of overgrown gums with a laser convinced the patient of the advantages of laser surgery; she noted the painlessness and short duration of the operation. During the healing process, after removing the gums with a laser, no additional antibiotics were required, since the laser makes the wound sterile; there was no need to take painkillers or any ointments.

Complete healing took place in 7 days, after which it was possible to begin replacing the tooth with a crown. The advantage of the laser is that the gums heal without cosmetic defects. The photographs below show the gums from the outside and inside after prosthetics. The edge of the gum is smooth and the dentition with a crown looks very natural.

The cost of gum removal with a dental laser was 1,500 rubles. The period of complete recovery for subsequent dental prosthetics was 7 days.

The dental laser also successfully removes excess gum above the wisdom tooth (hood) as it erupts.

See other work of Family Dental specialists using a dental laser here.

The most common diseases of the oral cavity in which ulcers appear

ulcerative necrotizing gingivitis. The cause of this disease is bacteria that multiply when immunity decreases. Extensive ulcers appear on the gums, regional lymph nodes become enlarged, and the temperature may rise
chronic recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Up to 4-5 white spots first appear in the mouth, which later turn into ulcers. There is no temperature or other problems related to well-being. If such symptoms appear 1-2 times a year in small quantities, then there should be no cause for concern. Frequent occurrence is associated with weakened immunity and possible intestinal diseases, as well as allergies.
acute herpetic stomatitis. Herpetic stomatitis occurs in a child when he first encounters the herpes virus. Many bubbles appear on the gums, which, after bursting, turn into ulcers that merge with each other. The gums are always bright red, and the ulcers themselves are very painful, the temperature may rise

Why does the gum move away from the tooth?

The use of too hard brushes, incorrectly fitted dentures and high fillings - all this leads to the fact that the gum moves away from the tooth, exposing the neck.
Another reason is insufficient hygiene procedures, due to which bacteria causing gingivitis spread in the oral cavity. Often the first symptoms of the disease are bleeding, itching, pain when brushing, and bad breath. Ignoring these problems causes the gums to recede from the teeth. Gingivitis, like a number of other periodontal diseases, can be triggered by a general decrease in immunity, a number of chronic diseases, impaired hematopoiesis in the body, a lack of vitamins and endocrine diseases.
Another common cause is periodontitis. Plaque that accumulates on the surface of the enamel forms tartar. Initially, gingivitis develops, and then pathogenic microflora destroys other periodontal tissues. Smokers have a high predisposition to this disease.
An incorrect bite can also cause the gum to become inflamed and pull away from the tooth.
Hormonal changes are also one of the reasons. Periodontal problems may appear during pregnancy, puberty, and other hormonal changes.
Chronic diseases of the hematopoietic, endocrine system.
A genetic predisposition is also possible.

First aid

If the temperature rises, you can take an antipyretic drug. In the future, before visiting a doctor, nothing should be done. Do not take antibiotics yourself or try to get into the ulcer with any object.

How to relieve symptoms of ulcers

do not eat sour and salty foods
food should be warm, no hot dishes or drinks
Care should be taken to ensure that the child does not put dirty hands in his mouth
teeth should be brushed, but make sure that the bristles do not touch the gums with ulcers
It is recommended to rinse your mouth with herbal solutions (oak bark, chamomile) 3-4 times a day

You should be careful when using antibacterial solutions. They must be prescribed by a doctor. If such solutions are used incorrectly, they can provoke the development of thrush. The antibacterial agent will “kill” the beneficial microflora, which can result in a fungal infection.

Prevention of ulcers

professional oral hygiene at least 2 times a year
Regularly replacing your toothbrush
Proper brushing of teeth at least 2 times a day
using additional hygiene techniques such as irrigators, dental floss, and tongue scrapers
Children should be monitored for bad habits such as putting dirty fingers and other objects into their mouths
It is important to treat your teeth in a timely manner. Microbes that are found in carious teeth and rotten roots can serve as a source of infection for ulcers

If you have problems in the oral cavity, contact the specialists of the Center for Family Dentistry!

First aid for gum injuries

Regardless of the type of injury, first aid must be provided immediately. First, you should remove all foreign pieces or parts of a broken tooth from the gums. After that:

In case of a mechanical injury, the main rule is rest and immediate treatment of the gums with a disinfectant. Such drugs include a weak solution of manganese, furatsilin, a 5% alcohol solution and other available liquid medicines. If the injured person cannot rinse his mouth on his own, then the mouth should be cleaned using cotton-gauze balls.
For burns, the initial action should be to rinse the mouth with plenty of cool water. If your gums are burned, in most cases it is necessary to call an emergency doctor to prevent the development of more complex forms of the disease.

You should not be afraid of the unknown, of what you are encountering for the first time. It is necessary to seek help from specialists in the first minutes. This is the only way to avoid complications and undesirable effects in the damaged part of the gum. The doctor will also prescribe painkillers for increasing pain.

Why does a wisdom tooth become inflamed?

The cause of inflammation is dental plaque microorganisms. The first sign of inflammation is pain and bleeding of the gums, which usually makes good hygiene difficult. A vicious circle arises: brushing a tooth hurts, but without cleaning it becomes even worse and even more painful. Therefore, the first thing that needs to be done when inflammation occurs in the area of an erupting wisdom tooth is to improve oral hygiene and thus reduce the number of microorganisms to a minimum.

Symptoms of pericoronitis

Sometimes the onset of inflammation around a wisdom tooth can be confused with a cold and a “sore” throat. Patients report that swallowing becomes painful, and the lymph nodes in the angle of the lower jaw and near the ear become enlarged. The pain may radiate to the ear on the side of the problematic tooth. The gum above it swells, changes color to bright red, and purulent discharge may appear from under the gum. There is an unpleasant odor from the mouth.

Symptoms of intoxication of the body are added: fever, chills, weakness, deterioration in general health, lack of appetite. With the development of inflammation, swelling can spread to the cheek and deeper cellular spaces. It becomes difficult to open the mouth, which in turn impairs the doctor’s access to the causative tooth.

Why does a wisdom tooth become inflamed?

What to do if the gums above the wisdom tooth are inflamed?

Clean thoroughly, even if it bleeds and hurts. After all, as you already know, the cause of inflammation is that plaque and food debris around the “eight” were regularly not cleaned. The plaque microbes did their job - pericoronitis occurred. To more successfully clean plaque around a wisdom tooth, it is better to purchase a brush with elongated front bristles.

Brush with extended front bristles

Make salt baths (dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 glass of water at room temperature - never hot!). It is recommended to put the saline solution in your mouth and hold it on the side of the inflamed tooth for several minutes. Such baths are carried out every hour; it is optimal to alternate them with rinsing with chlorhexidine.
If the swelling does not decrease within a day or two, it is better to consult a dental surgeon. Perhaps an incision (pericoronarotomy) and the prescription of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs are needed. If you have a fever and it hurts to swallow, you can’t hesitate, you need to urgently go to a dental surgeon!
If inflammation of the gums around the wisdom tooth occurs regularly and you have repeatedly visited the dentist for an incision in the gum area above the wisdom tooth, this is an indication for removing the “eight”. Surgeons recommend removing the tooth as planned, not during an exacerbation or during an active inflammatory process. Such removal will be easier for you, painless and the body will need much less time to recover.

After reading the article, did you remember your torment with the eruption of wisdom teeth? We invite you to a consultation with a dental surgeon at the KANO clinic network. Our specialists will prescribe the necessary diagnostic X-ray and tell you what to do with the problem “eight”.