Bump in gums behind teeth
A lump behind a tooth may be normal bone or tissue, but it can also reflect irritation, infection, a cyst, or an erupting tooth.
The short answer
A lump behind a tooth may be normal bone or tissue, but it can also reflect irritation, infection, a cyst, or an erupting tooth. The gum sits over the jawbone and surrounds each tooth. A firm, unchanged ridge can be normal anatomy, while a new, tender, red, draining, or enlarging lump may come from inflamed gum, a tooth root, or a developing tooth.
What is the direct answer?
What does this question mean?
Compare both sides with a clean finger, but do not squeeze, puncture, or repeatedly rub the area. Continue gentle brushing and interdental cleaning, and note its size, color, tenderness, and change over time.
What can you do next?
Arrange dental care soon if the lump is painful, growing, bleeding, draining, associated with bad taste, or present with tooth pain. Facial swelling, fever, or difficulty swallowing needs urgent care.
When should you seek dental care?
Is it attached to the gum or the tooth, and is the underlying tooth healthy? Ask whether an examination, periodontal probing, or an X-ray is needed.