Gum around one tooth swollen
Swelling around one tooth can come from trapped plaque or food, a gum pocket, trauma, decay, or a tooth-root infection.
The short answer
Swelling around one tooth usually indicates a local problem such as trapped food, gum inflammation, a periodontal pocket, trauma, decay, or infection at the root. The exact source is found by examining the tooth, gum attachment, bite, and surrounding bone.
What is the direct answer?
What does this question mean?
A small gum bump beside a tooth may be inflamed tissue, an abscess draining through the gum, or tissue irritated by food or a sharp edge. Pain on biting, sensitivity, bleeding, pus, and tooth looseness provide useful diagnostic clues.
What can you do next?
Clean gently around the tooth and between it and its neighbour, then rinse with warm water. Do not squeeze the bump or place tablets on it, and avoid chewing hard foods there until the tooth has been examined.
When should you seek dental care?
Arrange a dental appointment promptly if the swelling is painful, drains, returns, or lasts beyond a short irritation. Seek urgent help for spreading swelling, fever, facial swelling, or difficulty swallowing or breathing.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask whether the swelling is in the gum or comes from the tooth pulp, whether an X-ray is needed, and whether treatment involves cleaning, a filling, root canal treatment, drainage, or extraction.
Frequently asked questions
Can a swollen gum around one tooth go away by itself?
Minor irritation may settle after the irritant is removed, but recurrent or painful swelling can signal disease that still needs treatment.
Why is there a pimple on my gum?
A gum pimple can be a drainage point for infection from a tooth root or a periodontal pocket and should be examined.