In today’s article, we will discuss Swollen Gums Treatment at Home.
A widespread consciousness can be seen among people today about physical and mental health. People are widely discussing issues of cancer, diabetes, aids, etc. Simultaneously there are widespread discussions about mental issues like stress, anxiety, depression, etc. But amid all these problems we are ignoring one vital part of our system, which is our mouth. Our mouth or oral cavity is one of the most important parts of more than one physiological system in our body.
It is the initial or the first stage of our digestive system, a part of the respiratory system, and also our tongue is a part of the nervous system as it is a sense organ. Despite so much importance we forget to give the proper care that is needed to maintain oral health. This gives rise to many oral issues, out of which swollen gum is the most common. The problem might be on the gums, but it can readily spread to any other nearby tissue in our oral cavity or around it via the vast diversity of microflora present in our mouth.
Also, poor oral hygiene prevents us from smiling or laughing freely which obstructs the projection of our true selves and emotions. Bad breath or smelly mouth is also associated with poor oral hygiene, and it prevents us from communicating with people in person thereby lowering our confidence, increasing social anxiety, and developing low self-esteem.
MicroFlora present in our mouth
Our mouth is home to a vast number of different species of microflora, or we can readily say bacteria. Of these vast and diverse populations, the prominent ones are Streptococcus SP, Staphylococcus SP., Peptostreptococcus SP., and Porphyromonas SP. These bacteria are both beneficial and harmful to us. Bacteria mainly classified as probiotics help digestion by mixing with the food we chew, basically called chyme.
These probiotics also prevent the growth of bad bacterial colonies in our mouths by outnumbering them. They also form acids while we are eating to partially disintegrate macromolecules of food.
Lack of oral care generally reduces the number of probiotics and gives space for harmful Streptococcus and Porphyromonas species. These bacteria are not only linked to swollen gum but are the main factor for nearly all oral diseases including cavities, mouth ulcers, bad breath, etc.
Dental Plaque | The silent villain in the oral cavity
Carbohydrates are the main energy given to the human body. This is why a major portion of our diet is filled with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are sugary substances with a typical sweet undertone due to glucose. This is a staple diet for us and a good medium for bacteria to grow. So, a few bacteria from our oral microbiome react with these starchy foods and form a thin slimy layer over our whole teeth that is commonly called Dental plaque.
The formation of dental plaque is not any disease but a natural process that occurs in every human being. Everyone has dental plaque. This can be easily felt if we roll our tongue over our teeth, we will feel a slightly muddy or slimy texture. If we prick our teeth with toothpicks, we can sometimes observe a slim white substance at its tip. This is nothing but Dental Plaque.
Dental Plaque formation is no issue, but ignoring it or not clearing it for a long time is a major problem because this Dental plaque becomes the breeding ground for various bacteria that leads to various oral diseases like swollen gums, mouth ulcers, etc.
One more complication linked to this dental plaque is calcification, which is the hardening of this plaque. The calcified plaque is known as tartar or dental calculus. This happens if the plaque is not cleared over a prolonged period. Once the plaque is calcified it is very hard to remove. If we try to remove it using a brush over our teeth with force, then it will give no results but only damage the gum.
Tartar is also responsible for the degeneration of enamel and sensitivity in our teeth.
This tartar can generally be removed by a dentist, but few home remedies can be followed to remove tartar easily within weeks, which will be discussed further in this article.
Various oral diseases that might lead to swollen gums
1) Scurvy – It is the most known and common disease that causes swelling in the gums. It has other symptoms too but swelling of the gum is the most prominent one. It is caused due to excessive lack of vitamin C in the body.
2) Gingivitis – It is solely an oral disease directly connected to poor oral hygiene and mouth bacteria P. gingivitis. It is caused by the action of bacteria on the formed plaque. It causes swelling (acute inflammation), redness, and irritation in the gums. If left uncured it can be hazardous. It can lead to decay or loss of teeth.
3) Periodontitis- This is also a gum disease caused due to infection and poor oral health. It affects the gum and leads to damage to the jaw bone; the bone where our teeth are embedded. The symptoms of it are similar to gingivitis but periodontitis if left uncured can cause damage to the lungs and heart.
Swollen Gums Treatment at Home | Home remedies to prevent swollen gum and other oral diseases
In present studies, it has been found that oral diseases are connected to Alzheimer’s. So, oral health is really important. Moreover, swollen gum also prevents us from eating freely because as we eat there is a burning sensation in the gums and to eat we need to chew our food but due to swollen gum, we cannot give pressure to our teeth for chewing thus making it impossible to eat solid food.
Bad oral hygiene is also a cause of a smelly mouth or bad breath. There are cures for swollen gum, but we know that “Prevention is better than cure”. So, these are following few tips or habits that can help prevent not only swollen gum but nearly all oral diseases:
1) Rinsing the mouth after every meal – After every meal be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner or even after having snacks or juice, a habit of rinsing the mouth with clear running tap water for at least 20 to 30 seconds must be made. This helps to remove the micro food particles stuck in the ridges of teeth thereby preventing bacterial growth over it.
2) Brushing twice daily – Brushing is very essential for oral hygiene. This keeps bacterial growth in check and keeps the mouth fresh. It also reduces the slow build-up of dental plaque.
3) Avoiding too much sugary or starchy food – Eating too much sugary food like candies, chocolates and ice cream will lead to gum problems and tooth decay because the bacteria mainly grow on sugar or starch deposits.
4) Avoid using teeth as bottle openers etc. – Our teeth are only meant for chewing and not for using them as bottle openers or breaking meat bones to extract the tasty marrow from inside. This gives pressure on the gums and can also damage the enamel. Sudden heavy pressure over gums can lead to gum injury causing inflation. Rather we can buy a bottle opener or nutcracker for this purpose.
5) Stop unnecessarily biting nails – Our nails might contain a lot of harmful pathogens in them. Unnecessarily biting it may cause a cut in the gum and spread of these pathogens in the mouth and later leading to infection.
6) Avoid consuming too hot food – Consumption of food too hot damages the gums as well as the tongue and palate. Food should be only consumed when it is mildly hot.
7) Avoid brushing with pressure – Using your brush with too much pressure does not clean with more rather than directly damaging your gum. Gums are very soft and delicate thus brushing too hard creates bruises over them. Brushing should always be done softly with gentle circular motion taking time. At least brush for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not rush while you are brushing.
8) Use a soft bristle brush – Soft bristle brush is good for gums and sensitive teeth.
9) Also clean tongue along with teeth – While we clean teeth must be kept in mind that our tongue might also shelter a microbial biome in it. So, a tongue cleaner can be readily bought from the market and a daily practice of cleaning the tongue can be followed.
10) Adequate intake of vitamin C – vitamin C deficiency is directly connected to the disease scurvy which leads to swollen gum. Therefore, adequate intake of vitamin C in a daily diet is really necessary. Moreover, vitamin C is also helpful in increasing immunity.
11) Eating whole fruit more than its juice – Eating whole fruit like sugarcane gives us the benefit of fibers that are left out when we extract juice from it. This fiber helps to clean the teeth and is good exercise for the gums.
Home remedies to cure swollen gum
In certain circumstances, people due to negligence become victims of diseases. So, these few home remedies can cure swollen gum.
1) Oil pulling – Oil pulling is an ancient ayurvedic technique where we need to rinse and gargle with cold-pressed coconut, sesame, or any plant-based oil for 15 to 20 minutes and then spit it out. This is a panacea to nearly all oral problems because every organic component is readily soluble in an organic solvent. The cell wall of all bacteria has lipophilic chemicals called peptidoglycans, So these bacteria along with dental plaque get dissolved in the organic oil and are thrown out of the mouth when we spit it. Practicing it for 2 to 3 days can readily cure swollen gums.
Oil pulling is also beneficial for toxin removal from the body and for good and white skin. More about skin whitening can be found in this article.
Click Here: Home Remedies for Permanent Skin Whitening
2) Gargle with warm salt water – Warm salt water can reduce the swelling in the gums by firstly, the warm heat will relieve the pain and secondly, by the action of osmosis the pus or tissue fluid accumulated in the gums that is leading to swelling will come out and thirdly, the salt will kill the bacteria.
3) Dant Manjan – It is an ancient Indian practice of brushing one’s teeth with one’s finger using a paste referred to as manjan. This paste can be readily bought from an Ayurvedic store or can be prepared at home just by mixing little rock salt, Neem leaves paste, and mustard oil together. Take this paste on your fingers and gently massage it over the teeth and gums.
This might cause instant pain, but later it will cure the swollen gum within a few hours. Doing this regularly rather than using chemical toothpaste, not only keeps swollen gum away but also helps in good digestion as our intestines are connected directly to gums via nerves, this is why when we start eating our intestine readily starts producing ‘use’ enzymes to digest food.
4) Using Datun (Bark or small branch) of Neem tree- Datun refers to the usage of a small branch or bark of a Neem tree as a brush. Rural areas still adhere to this practice. Neem bark has antimicrobial properties. So, it is pretty effective for swollen gums.
Advice for the readers Home remedies are always outstanding and as it is readily available at all times, it is quite convenient practice. But when the problems are not sorted within 2 or 3 days, a visit to a dentist for proper medical care must be sought immediately.
Also Read:- Home Remedies for Weight Loss
Q1- Are the cures for swollen gum permanent?
No, swollen gums might return if oral hygiene is not followed.
Q2- Is swollen gum a deadly disease?
if treated within a week or two it doesn’t bother overall health at all but studies found that diseases like gingivitis are linked to Alzheimer’s. Moreover, it can spread in the mouth if not treated in time. So, not deadly until the first two weeks.