Swollen and painful gum around tooth
A swollen painful gum may reflect trapped debris, gingivitis, periodontal disease, a tooth abscess, trauma, or an erupting tooth.
The short answer
A swollen, painful gum around one tooth can be caused by trapped food, gum inflammation, a periodontal pocket, an abscess, trauma, or an erupting tooth.
What is the direct answer?
What does this question mean?
The swelling may be in the marginal gum beside the crown, a deeper pocket around the root, or a small raised area where infection is draining. Pain with biting or a bad taste can point toward the tooth or tissues around its root, but appearance alone cannot identify the cause.
What can you do next?
The dentist examines the gumline, measures pocket depth, tests the tooth, checks the bite, and takes a radiograph when needed. Treatment may involve cleaning, removing trapped material, a filling, root canal treatment, drainage, or periodontal care.
When should you seek dental care?
Seek urgent care for facial swelling, fever, spreading redness, pus, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, or inability to open the mouth normally. Prompt care is also needed when swelling follows dental treatment or an injury.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask whether the swelling is in the gum, periodontal pocket, or tooth root area. Ask what the examination and radiograph show, whether drainage or root canal treatment is needed, and how to prevent food trapping at that site.
Frequently asked questions
Can trapped food cause swelling around one tooth?
Yes. Food pressed into a contact or gum pocket can irritate tissue, though persistent swelling needs assessment for decay or infection.
Does draining pus cure the tooth?
Drainage can relieve pressure, but the source may remain in the pulp, root, or periodontal tissues and still needs treatment.