What to eat when you have swollen gums
With swollen gums, choose soft, lukewarm foods such as yoghurt, eggs, porridge, or soup, and avoid items that sting or scrape the tissue.
What is the direct answer?
With swollen gums, choose soft, lukewarm foods such as yoghurt, eggs, porridge, or soup, and avoid items that sting or scrape the tissue.
What does this question mean?
Food can reduce discomfort but does not remove plaque, calculus, an abscess, or another cause of gum inflammation; chewing may also hurt when tissues are enlarged.
What can you do next?
Drink water, cut food into small pieces, chew away from the sore area, and continue gentle brushing and interdental cleaning; avoid very hot, spicy, acidic, hard, or sticky foods if they worsen symptoms.
When should you seek dental care?
See a dentist if swelling persists or returns, or promptly if there is pus, fever, facial swelling, severe pain, or difficulty swallowing or breathing.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask whether the swelling is linked to plaque, an erupting tooth, an abscess, medication, or another condition, and whether any foods or medicines should be avoided.
Frequently asked questions
Is yoghurt good for swollen gums?
Plain, cool yoghurt may be easier to eat than hard or spicy foods, but it does not treat the reason the gums are swollen.
Should I avoid citrus fruit?
Avoid acidic foods if they sting the inflamed tissue; the need depends on your symptoms and the underlying diagnosis.