what causes gum swelling?

[Bela]

Hello

I brush my teeth twice a day and try to floss as much as I can. My gums are generally healthy and I don't have any serious problems with my gums apart from the gum around one of my back teeth.

This tooth was filled a few years ago, and I find that food traps between that tooth and the one behind and every few months my gum swells up around that tooth.

I try to clean out the gum area with floss but I find that I can't get everything out in that region and my gum feels sore in that area when food packs there. The gum swelling usually goes down by itself after a few days until the gum swells up again a few months later.

I would like to know what causes gum swelling in the first place and what can be done to stop the gum swelling? Can any long term damage be done to my gums if this problems is not stopped?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

It sounds like you may have gum pocketing caused perhaps as a result of food trapping. Your best option would be to see a dentist and have the tooth looked at. If there is an open contact between those teeth, it should be closed perhaps by changing the filling or by placing a crown.

You will also probably need to have the gum pocket cleaned professionally first and then clean it at home yourself daily. You may be better off using a tepe brush if a floss is not working well. Tepe brushes are available in many dental practices and they are very effective in removing food and debris from gum pockets.

You need to find out which size tepe brush would be better for you by asking your dentist or hygienist to recommend a tepe brush size to you. These actions should help to reduced the gum swelling and help to improve the gum health in that region.