Swollen gums are a common complaint made by many individuals and most often the condition is associated with bleeding, reddened gums or else with other various symptoms pertaining to the gums and teeth. Therefore, treating such conditions would involve finding the root cause and thus addressing those issues at the same time giving treatment for symptomatic relief.
In oral medicine, especially when the gum diseases are considered, the best approach would be to prevent rather than expecting something to be cured once a disease establishes itself. But, at times, the need to be extra clean can also lead to damaged gums and thus associated swelling. First of all, it would be beneficial to know some of the causes which can lead to swelling of the gums and these would be,
*Damage caused by improper use of tooth brushes and flossing techniques
*Inadequate brushing and flossing of the teeth and gums
*Infections related to the gums
*Smoking or tobacco use
*Use of ill fitting dentures
*Excessive use of sweets associated with improper cleaning…etc.
Therefore, the approaches needed to prevent such swelling in the gums would be to clean the teeth and the gums at least twice a day with a brush which has soft and bluntly ending bristles, daily flossing using safe techniques, avoiding tobacco use including smoking, rinsing the mouth each time when sweetened drinks or foods are eaten, wearing dentures which firs adequately…etc.
But, once the swelling sets in, following methods can be used to gain symptomatic improvement while the underlying pathology is detected and treated. Some of these measures are,
*Rinsing the mouth with warm salt water for few seconds and spit the contents in the mouth. This needs to be repeated for several times in order to gain maximum effectiveness.
*Rinsing and gurgling with warm water containing lemon, in a similar manner to rinsing with salt water.
*Massaging the gums in order to improve the circulation as well as to sooth the surface of the gums which in turn help to resolve the swelling relatively quickly.
*Continuing to brush with toothpaste which is specifically made for sensitive gums that will have a soothing effect to the affected region and prevent further progression.
*Seeking medical attention if the swelling persist or gives rise to other symptoms such as bleeding, pain and at times purulent discharges from the cavities.
In certain instances, these measures will itself cure the gum swelling, but in other times, antibiotic treatment as well as surgical interventions may be required to cure the underlying problem as if not, recurrences and further complications are possible.