My gum is swollen and painful
A swollen painful gum may come from plaque, injury, trapped food, or an infection near a tooth and needs care based on its cause.
The short answer
A swollen painful gum is most often managed by cleaning the area and treating its cause, which may be gum inflammation, trapped debris, decay, or an abscess. Do not puncture the swelling or place aspirin on the gum.
What is the gum around each tooth made of?
The gum, or gingiva, contains connective tissue and blood vessels around each tooth. Plaque bacteria can inflame its margin, while infection from a tooth root can collect beneath the gum as a tender, localized swelling.
What can I do for a swollen painful gum now?
Rinse gently with warm water, clean between the teeth if this does not worsen pain, and use a soft brush. A dentist may remove calculus, drain an abscess, treat the tooth canal, or remove a tooth that cannot be restored.
Which symptoms make painful gum swelling urgent?
Seek prompt dental care for a lump, pus, bad taste, fever, facial swelling, or pain when biting. Emergency help is needed if swelling affects swallowing, breathing, or the eye.
What treatments might be needed for the swelling?
Ask whether the swelling begins in the gum or tooth, whether an X-ray is needed, and whether treatment involves periodontal cleaning, drainage, a root canal, or extraction.
Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.