An abscess on the gum of a child: first aid, treatment, contraindications, prevention

A common reason for visiting a dentist is a lump on a child’s gum. Upon examination, the doctor discovers a round formation of varying degrees of density, painless or with a mild pain symptom.

In most cases, in the area where the pathological element occurs there is a dilapidated or filled tooth. But sometimes the tooth turns out to be intact (undamaged), and the surrounding gum has a normal color. The reasons for the appearance of a lump can be varied. To determine them, you should contact your dentist as soon as possible.

Where does the abscess come from and what is its danger?

In the vast majority of cases, an abscess on the gum is associated with a tooth, often with a milk tooth. The most amazing thing is that the tooth may appear healthy from the outside, it may have a beautiful filling, and the tooth may not hurt. Why does pus still appear?

Baby teeth are less resistant to infection than permanent teeth; they are designed for a short service life, although they, like permanent teeth, have a nerve and roots. However, the roots of baby teeth begin to dissolve after five years. Caries in such teeth spreads much faster. Within three months, a cavity can form in the tooth, reaching the nerve. If caries is not treated, all pathogenic bacteria enter the dental nerve, and then, through the nerve, the microbes enter the bone. Bone is quite comfortable for microbes. They multiply there, dissolve the bone, which is accompanied by the formation of pus. If the tooth is open, there is a hole in it, pus comes out into the oral cavity. If food particles, fragments of destroyed enamel get into the tooth, or the tooth is covered with a filling without adequate treatment, pus can no longer flow freely. If the pus cannot flow out through the tooth cavity, it begins to look for another way out. The pus melts the bone and comes out under the gum. The outer covering of the gum, under which the pus has come out, swells and takes the form of a lump. Over time, the lump may burst and pus leaks out.

Once the pus is released, the lump may disappear and the gums may heal until the pus collects in large quantities again. The danger of such “bumps” is as follows:

there is always an infection in the body (you should never forget that the abscess is not just on the gum, but in the head);
the pus that is in the jaw dissolves the bone and can damage the growing permanent tooth.

The disappearance of an abscess next to a tooth never means recovery.

Symptoms that appear along with an abscess

redness on the gum;
tooth pain (optional);
There is a hole in the tooth or there may be a filling on it;
enlarged lymph nodes (dense “balls” appear under the lower jaw).

Sometimes a lump is discovered by chance, and the child may not be bothered by anything at all. The parent should periodically examine the child's mouth independently.

Causes of Teething Cysts in Children

During teething, a hematoma is formed; it occurs due to the fact that the tooth cannot break through the mucous membrane and thereby injures the gums and ruptures blood vessels. The longer the formation is in the oral cavity, the larger its size; in addition, the amount of swelling will depend on the group affiliation of the tooth.

The main causes of the tumor:

pulpitis;
caries;
periodontitis;
improper tooth treatment or lack thereof;
eruption injuries.

The baby’s body tries to limit the source of infection, which is why a dense protective capsule is formed, which eventually develops into a cyst. The occurrence of such formations is quite common. An infection caused by carelessness, an unsuccessful attempt to chew hard food, a fall that led to a tooth injury - all this can serve as a starting point for gum inflammation and further development of a cyst.

Another fairly common mistake parents make, which can lead to the appearance of a tumor during teething, is negligence in caring for baby teeth.

It is generally believed that you should take serious care of your dental health after changing them. Since there is no point in treating non-permanent baby teeth - they will soon fall out. In fact, not taking things seriously leads to many problems. Any gum diseases and oral infections should be eliminated in a timely manner, regardless of how many teeth the baby has and whether they are permanent or not.

Never do

You should never heat your gum or cheek, no warm compresses or salt or other “folk remedies”! It’s better not to do anything at all before going to the doctor. After warm compresses, pus may spread not only in the jaw, but also in the cheeks, throat, and neck. Situations arise that are dangerous not only to health, but also to life.

Contraindicated

refusal to brush teeth;
independent opening of the abscess;
taking medications without the consent of a doctor (except for painkillers).

Complications with cyst growth

Tooth trauma, advanced caries, nasopharyngeal or periodontal disease, dental malformations - one or more of these factors can lead to the development of a cyst. The danger is that the cyst grows unnoticed. It usually does not hurt and at the initial stage does not cause discomfort or reaction of the lymph nodes. With further development, suppuration and various unpleasant sensations may appear. But even if there is no pus, the cyst is very dangerous. Therefore, do not delay treatment.

A cyst can lead to intoxication of the body due to the fact that waste products of harmful microorganisms enter the blood. The consequence of this can be headaches, high fever and, in the worst case, sepsis.

In addition, complications are caused by local problems - phlegmon, abscesses, osteomyelitis. These complications are inflammatory in nature and often occur when the cyst suppurates. The spread of pus can lead to destruction of the jaw bones, damage to the internal organs of the digestive system, liver, and heart.

It is impossible to avoid the appearance of a cyst, but if you properly care for baby and permanent teeth and treat infections in a timely manner, you can reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. In addition, periodic visits to the dentist will allow you to notice the problem at an early stage, when treatment will be as simple and easy as possible for the body.

Treatment

Depending on whether a permanent or baby tooth caused a lump on the child’s gum , the doctor carries out appropriate treatment. If a permanent tooth is damaged, seek help immediately while there is a chance to save the child’s tooth. The doctor will have to remove the nerve and fill the canals. In this case, adult dental treatment is a necessity, because if high-quality treatment and appropriate treatment are not carried out, the child may lose a tooth.

Milk teeth are removed immediately - their root system has not yet had time to form, and it is impossible to properly fill the canals. In addition, if a diseased tooth is left, the molar may grow back with defects (stains, damage.

At the Family Dentistry Center, you can remove a child’s tooth without pain or fear. All procedures in the clinic are performed under medical sedation. While the baby is sleeping peacefully and does not feel pain or discomfort, the doctor can carry out all the necessary procedures. Being able to treat your teeth while you sleep is a great way to cope with dental phobia.

A lump on an area of the gum where there is no tooth yet: what to do in this case?

A couple of weeks before the tooth erupts, a cyst may appear on the gum, looking like a lump filled with a clear or bluish liquid. Such bumps are by no means common: dentists do not consider such formations to be a pathology requiring treatment. In addition, such formations on the gums in no way indicate an inflammatory process.

According to statistics, a small percentage of children are affected by the appearance of such a cyst. The child may not even suspect that he has a lump in his mouth, because if he touches it, there is no pain. However, a dental examination is still necessary, because the inflammatory process may still begin, in which case intervention will be required. The presence of inflammation is indicated by such signs as increased body temperature, pain when touching the lump, and swelling of the mucous membrane.

Most parents do not like the fact that their child has a lump in his mouth: in this case, you can ask the dentist to make an incision under anesthesia, as a result of which the fluid inside the cyst will come out. As a rule, when part of the cyst is removed, the crown of the tooth about to erupt is visible.

Prevention

There are no special unique ways to prevent dental disease in children. Ulcers on the gums are the result of untreated caries. Therefore, all preventive measures are aimed at preventing caries:

oral hygiene (make sure your baby brushes his teeth properly);
balanced diet;
rinsing your mouth every meal;
preventive procedures (remineralization, fluoridation; fissure sealing);
timely dental treatment;
preventive examinations at the dentist 2 times a year (some experts recommend once every 3 months if the baby already has treated teeth).

Timely dental treatment for children and proper hygiene will help avoid many dental problems. Teach your child to take care of the health of their teeth and beautiful children's smiles will delight you every day!

Preventive measures to prevent the formation of lumps on the gums

To reduce the likelihood of an abscess to a minimum, a child from childhood should be taught to carefully observe oral hygiene.

The list of the most effective measures includes:

Brushing your child's teeth twice a day. First, parents should brush their child’s teeth themselves, showing how to do it correctly, gradually giving the child more independence in this matter;
rinsing your mouth after every meal;
minimizing sweets in the diet - it is important to ensure that the child keeps caramel and candies in his mouth as little as possible;
Do not introduce your child to chewing gum (the product is especially harmful if it contains sugar).

If the causative tooth is permanent –

In this case, the tooth is not only possible, but also necessary to be saved.
If permanent teeth in children have already formed roots, then treatment of permanent teeth with periodontitis will be carried out as in adults. However, treating a permanent tooth with incomplete root formation will present some difficulty, because such teeth may have very wide root canals as well as gaping apical foramina (see photo below). And this poses a great difficulty for high-quality filling. Permanent tooth with incomplete root formation –

Currently, in pediatric therapeutic dentistry, there are 2 main approaches to the treatment of periodontitis in permanent teeth with incomplete root formation. The first method is based on temporary filling of root canals with materials based on calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide. This requires a long, months-long exposure of these materials in the root canals (with periodic replacement of the material with fresh portions). This will narrow the width of the apical foramen by creating an osteocement apical barrier, after which it will be possible to perform permanent filling of the root canals.

The duration of such treatment usually ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 years. If a water-based material with calcium hydroxide is used, then it needs to be changed in the root canals monthly, but if it is oil-based - only once every few months. The disadvantage of this method is the need for frequent repeat visits, and the effectiveness is only about 70-90%, because the emerging osteocement barrier has a loose porous structure and does not guarantee 100% reliable sealing of the root canal lumen.

The second method is a one-step technique for forming a barrier in the area of the apical foramen using materials from the MTA group (mineral trioxide aggregate). An example of such material is “Pro Root”. The method assumes that the apical part of the root canal for 3-4 mm will be permanently sealed with MTA. Thus, in this case, only 1 visit is required, but it is best to use this method only in the last stages of root formation (otherwise, it will be best to combine temporary filling with calcium hydroxide-based material for 1-2 months + subsequent permanent filling with MTA) .

How are gums treated?

Periodontitis therapy begins with the removal of plaque and tartar.
The use of local remedies relieves the problem only for a short period of time. The latent course of the inflammatory process continues, leading to an increase in the depth of periodontal pockets and increased destruction of the bone tissue adjacent to the element. An abscess in the mouth is a source of infection. The surgeon must open it up and remove the pus from under the tooth in the gum without pain. Infiltration anesthesia is used. The resulting wound is treated with antiseptic solutions. Drainage is used to prevent premature overgrowing and ensure the flow of contents.

Therapy in dentistry

Depending on the severity of the condition, drug or surgical treatment is chosen.

Conservative technique is a long and labor-intensive process consisting of several stages:

Survey. The dentist studies the patient’s medical history and finds out when and under what circumstances a purulent formation appeared on the gum. It is important to know how quickly the pathology progressed.
Clinical examination. The location, shape and color of the abscess are studied. If necessary, X-ray diagnostics of the diseased part of the jaw is performed. An image is required for an objective assessment of the state of the structure of internal tissues. The further method is chosen depending on the severity of the case.
Disinfection of the oral cavity. Thorough removal of food debris, plaque and tartar. Antiseptics, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are used.
Treatment of purulent gums by creating an outflow of contents from the abscess. The medical procedure is performed at the Dentika clinic under local anesthesia. The surgeon carefully dissects the affected area and installs a drain into the created incision to cleanse the cavity of infected fluid.

Long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs is required. To prevent re-formation of the infiltration site, antibiotics and local antiseptic rinses are prescribed.

Some patients are bothered by excruciating toothache and complaints that pus is released when pressing on the gums while chewing. At the same time, there is no lump on the jaw. In this situation, the scheme described above will be ineffective. Surgery is required. If there is a filling, the surgeon carefully removes it and cleans the canals, washing out purulent accumulations. A small area of inflammation allows for filling.

If a granuloma or cyst is present, a temporary filling is placed for 3 months. At the end of the specified period, an x-ray is taken. If positive dynamics are observed, filling and crown installation are performed.

Additional procedures

A qualified dentist will tell you how to treat your gums if a purulent sac bursts and pus appears, and will give recommendations for further care of your teeth and oral cavity. To increase the effectiveness of conservative therapy, most doctors prescribe a course of physiotherapeutic procedures: electrophoresis, ultrasound and laser techniques. After passing, positive dynamics are noticeable. If all medical recommendations are followed, there is a decrease in discomfort and swelling, and a general improvement in well-being.

Recovery

Many patients are wary of going to the dentist and wonder whether treatment for purulent gums can be painless. Dental invasive interventions are performed under anesthesia without discomfort for the patient. Despite this, opening and draining an abscess is additional stress for the body. To speed up healing, you should follow the recommendations: