Bumps that form on your gums are mild condition for us, noncancerous growths in our mouth can be caused by an irritation and they are relatively normal. In case they get be more serious conditions, white bumps on gums or lumps may indicate to be cancerous. Therefore you may have to visit your doctor who may remove by surgery.
A white bump on gums, called a gumboil or parulis, can be found around the teeth by the lips or cheeks, along with the roof of one’s mouth. This kind infection of the gum can have some inflammation around the bump and there may be an abscess. These feeling is caused by a tooth that had died due to decay or infection, called a non-vital tooth.
When the nerve tissue dies, the tissue causes a response where white blood cells enter the area to prevent an infection. Also, it forms when there is pressure from an abscess in the bone and the toxicity of the dead nerve tissue. The bump is filled with pus at the base of the tooth which breaks through the skin to form the bump or boil.
When the bump pops or releases the pus, there can be a salty or bitter taste. The gum boil may not necessarily be painful, but always does require medical attention. If there is any pain, the person usually makes an immediate appointment with their dentist.
I have a bump on my gums what could it be?
A gum pimple can be a sign of infection or abscess in either the bone or gum tissue. Although most gum pimples are not painful they need to be evaluated by a dentist. Sometimes when teeth have an infection in the nerve or surrounding bone or gum tissue, you will see a reaction which occurs with a white bump on gums.
These little pimples on your gum that come and go but never go away completely can indicate a tooth abscess or gum infection. Not all teeth that are abscessed or infected get a drainage pimple. Infection causes swelling that can result in pain because swelling creates pressure on the inside of your upper or lower jaw bone.
When you get a sinus tract drainage or fistula, it allows for drainage of the infected spot and relieves the swelling. The good news is, because the swelling is relieved through the pimple or drainage tract, you have no pain. The bad news, you still have infection somewhere in or near your tooth.
What if it doesn’t hurt?
The white lump on gums that drains is an indication that there is infection. Even though it doesn’t hurt, you should get it checked out soon. It is not healthy for you to have chronic infection anywhere in your body. It can eventually cause a bad toothache or make you sick.
What Causes White Bumps on Gums
White bumps, spots or swelling can be 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 numerous different problems. 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.
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. However other causing conditions include:
Gum Disease
They are mainly caused by poor dental hygiene that accumulates with inconsistencies in brushing the teeth and flossing. Also it further causes bacterial infection 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 may include swelling and pain, loosening of teeth, foul breath and sensitive gums.
Mouth ulcers
For mouth ulcers, they are not only small white bumps but also yellowish spots. A single white bump on gums 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 it is important 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 on the gums. For people having braces, water picks are quiet helpful in cleaning.
Infection
A tooth infections is the most common reason that lead to a small white bump, such as an infection in the tooth due to trauma, an infection by a decayed tooth and the dental chronic abscess. These infections can get your body to drain them out for protecting the area.
Canker Sores
These ulcers usually appear inside your mouth on tongue, gums and cheeks and they can be painful. In some case, they may develop a white coat on top of them. Canker sores can be due to a few of things, such as bad diet, food allergy, stress and even menstruation.
Gum abscess and white bumps
The white bump on gums may occur 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 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 result to severe throbbing and sensitivity as well as inflammation.
The swelling mostly occur during the night time or overnight. Later, one might detect white spots on the gum that might hurt if touched with force. You may also face difficulty in opening the mouth due to inflammation and swelling. The accumulation of pus can also affect the taste buds.
White Bump on Gums no Pain meaning
There is a flat bone known as torus, which is a benign bony growth that is found on the tongue side of the lower jaw, or even on the hard palate. These small white bump on gums probably got the name from their bulbous shape and the fact that they are usually made of strong, solid bone.
Therefore, torus are generally not a very big problem, except when the removable prosthesis like the partial dentures or even complete dentures must be fully fitted.
Oral cancers are usually always soft tissue lesions, in other words they are very soft, not very hard bumps. Cancer is rarely hard or painful in presentation like the mandibular Tori. Cancer is not normally diagnosed feel alone, however, due to the fact that there is nothing particularly unique or the characteristic of the consistency or even the texture of cancer.
The painless lumps on gums start as small hard bumps, as times goes by, with no medication and treatment. This lead to the sores growing big, as you keep brushing your mouth, the sores may rupture and cause you to feel pain. The rupture may also be as a result of the teeth grinding the gums or the reaction between hard foods such as fries.
White Bump on Gums below Teeth
Dental cysts can form at the tip of the roots of dead teeth. They can also form around the crowns of buried teeth. Most bumps below teeth form because the teeth they are associated with have died from infection or trauma. Others form because of a mistake in the way the teeth have developed.
In rare cases, white bump on gums below teeth are part of a genetic syndrome that has other symptoms. Your dentist or oral surgeon will explain to you more about the cause of your cyst. Any teeth can develop lump on gum from dental cysts. Mostly people will only have one at a time, but some people are more susceptible to developing them either because of the condition of their teeth or because they have an inherited condition that has dental cysts as part of its features.
White Bump on Gums above Tooth
Many at times, the gums may bleed if you brush the teeth and gums very hard, make use of a hard-bristled toothbrush, or the snap dental floss hard against the gums. Always be gentle with the teeth, use a very soft-bristled toothbrush as well as floss very carefully to assist to prevent bump on gums.
Smoking as well as chewing tobacco increases the risk for gum disease which can be seen with a hard white bump on gums above tooth. Smokers have a very higher chance of experiencing gum disease throughout their mouths than the non-smokers.
However, you may not experience the symptoms of bleeding or a lump on the gums due to the normal bleeding immune response that is affected by tobacco use.
Chewing of the tobacco or use of the snuff can also result in gums recession in the area of the mouth where the tobacco is normally inserted. Constant irritation brought about by the tobacco products increases the risk of oral cancer.
Causes of Hard Bumps on Gums
In many cases, the structure and appearance of bumps on gums is dependent on what the cause them to occur. The color of the lumps would vary from reddish, grayish all the way to whitish. The size on the other hand would be small 0.5mm to big one of around 2mm. the other aspect of the lump would be the texture, some would be tough when touch with the fingers whereas other may appear tender and soft when felt.
Severally, a hard white lump on gum may be as a result of sexually transmitted infection, the more common culprit of this would either be chlamydia, Gonorrhoea or HIV/AIDS. When these are the cause, you should expect other symptoms such as;
- Cracking of the mouth lining
- Peeling of the mucus membrane
- Dry and cracked lips
- You should also expect loss of test
It is important to visit your health care provider for early diagnosis and treatment. This will be helpful in preventing future infection and making sure you do not transmit the infection to other persons.
White Bump on Gums of a Baby
When your child has bumps or small sore on the gum, this could be a source of pain and discomfort. When this happens, you need to visit a pediatrician as soon as possible. Most of the infection for children happen from the mouth. Your child may be having an oral thrush or cankers sores or just an injury from playing with sharp objects.
When you find the actual cause of the white bump on gums in your baby’s mouth is the first step in trying to figure out the best way to get rid of the lumps. For small children below 8 years, you could try waxing the gum with coconut oil or raw honey to help dry the sores and alleviates the pain by reducing the contact between them and the teeth.
White Bumps on Gums Home Remedy
It is important to note that the best way of getting rid of the bumps is treating the underlying cause of the bumps in the first place. White bump on gums is not an infection on its own. Lumps on gums are a symptom of an underlying medical or health complication. You can easily reduce the pain and speed up the healing process by following same of the simple home remedies below.
However, the remedies can sometimes only help reduce the pain, irritation and help dry the ruptured sore. The remedies do not treat the cause of the lumps, you need to seek the help of a dentist or a general health practitioner as soon as you can.
Aloe Vera rinse
Aloe Vera has a lot of anti-inflammatory, anti-itching and lots of antibacterial property important in healing very many skin infection. When used on ruptured sore, aloe Vera can help speed the healing process at the same time reducing bleeding of the gums.
To prepare, simply mix aloe Vera gel in a cup of water, swish the mixture over the sores three times a day after meals to ease the pain and speed the healing process.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile has been used as an herb to heal stomach upsets or induce sleep. Chamomile also help in promoting relaxation. All this is made possible as a result of a chemical compound with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties found the chamomile plant.
When being used on a white bump on gums, chamomile will help reduce the pain cause by the ruptured sores and also help in speeding up the healing and getting rid of the lumps. To prepare;
- Soak the tea bag in water for 3 minute
- After soaking place it directly against the sores for 5 minutes
- Repeat this twice daily for optimal results
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is rich in anti-inflammatories, antimicrobial and generally healthy when eaten. It is the best remedy for getting rid of canker sore causing white bumps on tongue, peeling inside mouth and white bump on gums. All you need to prepare this remedy is a fresh coconut fruit.
- Dab a moderate amount of coconut oil using a swab onto the sores.
- An alternative is, you can put a considerate amount of coconut oil in your mouth and leave it for 10 minutes before throwing it out
- Repeat this twice daily till the peeling and the white bumps on tongue disappear.
Use raw Honey
Honey can be very helpful when treating simple coughing and sore throats. Honey has antibacterial properties and potential anti-inflammatory qualities. Raw organic honey thus makes an excellent soothing coating for sore throats and canker sores in your mouth. If honey is placed on the white bumps on tongue it could help relieve the pain and speed in the healing process all together.
Swish some warm water in your mouth, then apply a thick layer of raw organic honey, you can do this with your fingers or a spoon. Let the coating last for around 10 minutes, before rinsing it out. Do this twice in a day and the result will be optimal.
Use Wax to cap the sores and reduce contact with teeth
For sore that keep rubbing against you teeth or are irritated by the dentures, putting a little wax “capping” over the surface of the sores can really reduce the irritating friction. You need to make the wax thicker enough so that it does not just get around the brace and stuck.
- Melt down a beeswax and coconut oil and allow them to mix
- Allow the mixture to cool
- Gently press dollop over the edge of the teeth to prevent the sores from rubbing
Salt Water & Clove Oil
When a person is dealing with the pain of a bump on gums, salt water rinses may assist the pain disappear. Using clove oil on the spot may also bring a bit of relief. Over the counter medications, such as ibuprofen or even acetaminophen, may also make a big difference. Try using the mouthwashes with a very high alcohol content or a blend of a hydrogen peroxide and water to gargle remember not to swallow the concoctions.
How to Treat Bumps on Gums
A lump on the gums might be very painful, annoying as well as frightening. Here are various ways to assist fight it. Antibiotics are usually prescribed for problems like this. They may also often deliver relief, and once the swelling disappears, the dentist may want to get rid of the tooth or do other procedures so as to ensure the problem is gone.
Medical options
If the problem is too serious, the dentist may perform minor surgery to assist you get over the issue. Scaling as well as root planning of the area are the first options, and if that fails to work, a root canal may be in order. If that also fails to work, tooth extraction or periodontal surgery may be needed.
Cleaning your Teeth and Roots
Keep the teeth clean to prevent white bump on gums by brushing as well as flossing every day. Also, use of mouthwash with a good alcohol content to clean and freshen your mouth after each and every brush. This may also assist to avoid the formation of pockets that gets hold bacteria.
Regular Dental visit
Keep up on this for the cleaning and the x-rays to identify lump on gums, as well as assist to avoid the problems by spotting them before they begin.
When to See a Doctor
If you are much suffering from the pain while chewing, swelling of the jaw, or trouble opening the mouth, you may need to see your dentist for white bum on gums treatment. Other problems that might send you to the dentist include a bad odor from the mouth that won’t go away, occasional bleeding from your gums and fever or any other signs of infection.
Root Canal Treatment
In case the soft tissue on your abscessed tooth has swollen, your dentist may start by draining it first. The tooth will be opened up and the nerve that is sending pain sensations to your brain will be removed. The infected pulp inside the canal will also be cleaned out.
Antibiotics
You may not need antibiotics if your infection isn’t spreading to areas other than your abscessed tooth. It is also important to use antibiotics if your immune system isn’t functioning properly.
More references
- Lump on gums: http://mddk.com/lump-on-gums.html
- White bumps on tongue and gums: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tongue-pain/Pages/Introduction.aspx
- White spots on gums treatment: http://everydayroots.com/canker-sore-remedies
- Hard white lump on baby’s gums: http://community.babycenter.com/post/a18326635/help…hard_white_bump_on_babys_gums._not_teething.