Interdental gum
The interdental gum, or papilla, fills the space between neighbouring teeth and changes with plaque, trauma, inflammation, or loss of support.
The short answer
Interdental gum is the triangular gingival papilla between teeth; soreness, enlargement, or a gap can reflect irritation, spacing, recession, or periodontal changes.
What is the direct answer?
Its shape depends on tooth contacts, gum thickness, and underlying alveolar bone. Plaque, trapped food, forceful cleaning, and periodontal disease can alter it.
What does this question mean?
Its shape depends on tooth contacts, gum thickness, and underlying alveolar bone. Plaque, trapped food, forceful cleaning, and periodontal disease can alter it.
Clean gently with floss or a correctly sized interdental brush, avoid snapping floss into the gum, and do not probe or squeeze the tissue.
What can you do next?
Clean gently with floss or a correctly sized interdental brush, avoid snapping floss into the gum, and do not probe or squeeze the tissue.
Arrange care for persistent pain, bleeding, swelling, pus, recession, a new gap, or an unexplained change.
When should you seek dental care?
Arrange care for persistent pain, bleeding, swelling, pus, recession, a new gap, or an unexplained change.
Ask whether the change is irritation, gingivitis, periodontal disease, tooth movement, or a restoration problem.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask whether the change is irritation, gingivitis, periodontal disease, tooth movement, or a restoration problem.
A gap can follow inflammation, recession, tooth spacing, altered contacts, or loss of supporting bone, so examination is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there a gap in my interdental gum?
A gap can follow inflammation, recession, tooth spacing, altered contacts, or loss of supporting bone, so examination is needed.
When is an examination especially important?
Arrange care for persistent pain, bleeding, swelling, pus, recession, a new gap, or an unexplained change.