Normal teeth gum
Healthy gums usually fit closely around the teeth and look coral pink or naturally pigmented, without persistent swelling, ulcers, or spontaneous bleeding.
What should healthy gums normally look and feel like?
Healthy gums usually fit closely around the teeth and look coral pink or naturally pigmented, without persistent swelling, ulcers, or spontaneous bleeding.
Why can healthy gum colour vary between different people?
Normal gingiva has a firm texture and a scalloped edge around tooth necks, although colour varies with natural pigmentation. A change in one area matters more than comparing your gums with another person’s.
How can you check and care for your gums at home?
Brush along the gum line with a soft brush, clean between teeth, and inspect the gums in good light. Record new bleeding, swelling, recession, sores, or colour changes so the dentist can compare them during an examination.
Which gum changes mean you should see a dentist?
Book a dental assessment for persistent bleeding, swelling, recession, pus, pain, loose teeth, or an ulcer that does not heal.
What should you ask about unusual gum changes?
Ask what diagnosis the examination supports, which treatment materials or instruments will be used, what alternatives exist, and how progress or healing will be checked.
Frequently asked questions
Can this be diagnosed from a photograph alone?
A photograph can show a visible change, but examination and sometimes imaging are needed to identify the cause.
What if the symptom keeps returning?
Recurring symptoms deserve a dental assessment because repeated inflammation, pain, or appliance problems can have a treatable underlying cause.
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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.