Gum injuries can happen during football games, while eating food, and when drinking a beverage that’s too hot. Trauma can cause excessive bleeding, and lodged foods or scalding liquids can cause irritation and infection.

Visiting a Dentist at Dental Concepts is the best way to treat a gum injury. However, there are some measures you can take at home to treat your gums. Here’s what you should do immediately after a gum injury has occurred:

1. For Soft Tissue Injuries

Your gums are made up of soft tissue. Although your gums can stand up to brushing and flossing, they aren’t strong enough to endure trauma. If you are hit in the mouth with a frisbee or another object, it may cause your gums to bleed. Do these things immediately following the injury:

• Rinse: Swish diluted saltwater around your mouth and spit it out.
• Clean the wound: If the wound is visible, use a cotton swab and gentle soap or water to clean the area. This will help prevent infection. If any foreign material is present, remove it and rinse again.
• Use gauze: Control the bleeding by pressing damp gauze on the injury. The bleeding should stop after 10 to 15 minutes.

If the bleeding has not stopped, seek medical attention from a dentist. A member of our professional dental team will evaluate your gums and determine which of our comfortable treatment options will work best for you.

2. For Foreign Bodies

It’s not uncommon for things like popcorn hulls to get lodged in the gums. Luckily, most of the time, these objects are close enough to the surface for you to remove them easily. In the rare case that the object goes deeper, wax dental floss might do the trick.

Try gently working the floss from the bottom of the gum line to the top to dislodge the object and avoid putting pressure on the object itself.

If this doesn’t work, a visit to your dentist is necessary to help you avoid irritation and infection. He or she will have the proper tools to remove the object and prevent other problems.

3. For Gum (Periodontal) Abscesses

Also known as a gum boil, these pus-filled sacs form between the teeth and gums and occasionally drain into the mouth. This is caused by an infection, which is usually due to objects being lodged in the gum line or untreated periodontal disease.

Symptoms of a periodontal abscess include:

• A throbbing toothache
• Tenderness and swelling of the gums or face
• Fever
• A strange taste in your mouth

When these abscesses aren’t professionally treated, they can cause other serious health problems and spread infections to other areas of your body. Our in-house periodontist will create a custom treatment plan to repair your gums. This usually involves:

• Emptying out the pus and fluid
• Meticulously cleaning the infected area
• Controlling the infection

Receive Comfortable Treatment for Your Gum Injury Today

If ignored, a gum injury can cause severe damage to your oral and overall health. If you have symptoms of a gum injury, schedule a visit to your Salinas dental office today. Call 831-443-3633 or schedule an appointment online.