Pain in the gums occurs with gingivitis, periodontitis, periodontal disease, stomatitis, developing against the background of local changes or somatic diseases. It is detected with malocclusion, mechanical damage. It can be weak, intense, permanent, short-term. Often occurs when eating, brushing teeth. The cause of the symptom is determined on the basis of complaints, dental examination data and additional studies. Treatment is carried out using general and local means: antiseptics, anesthetics, analgesics, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs. According to indications, dental operations are performed.
Pain is caused by changes in the gums and periodontium, which occur under the influence of local factors: poor oral hygiene, the presence of tartar, functional periodontal insufficiency due to a decrease in chewing load when eating too soft food. Smoking plays a significant role. Common factors affecting the state of the tissues of the oral cavity are gastrointestinal diseases, infectious and endocrine pathologies, natural changes in hormone levels, harmful occupational exposure.
These reasons entail the formation of an environment favorable for the activity of pathogens, the development of inflammation, disruption of local blood supply and nutrition of the gums, and a change in its structure. The result is a pain syndrome. Often the periodontium is involved in the pathological process, the disease becomes chronic, leads to gross local changes and loss of teeth.
May be local or widespread. It is manifested by soreness, swelling, redness, increased local temperature, bleeding, the formation of petechial hemorrhages or ulceration areas. There is hypersalivation. The clinical picture varies somewhat depending on the type of gingivitis:
The disease is based on periodontal atrophy with loosening of the gums, destruction of periodontal joints, penetration of plaque into them and subsequent tissue damage. As a result, the gums begin to bleed. There is pain under the action of any stimuli. Against the background of periodontal disease, recurrent inflammatory processes develop. Pathology can be primary, but is more often diagnosed in patients with hypovitaminosis, diseases of the digestive tract, cardiovascular and endocrine systems.
Pain in the gums
The cause of periodontal disease is plaque, which transforms into tartar. Pain in periodontitis is rare, mainly at the initial stage, with inflammation of the gums (gingivitis). In the future, redness, bleeding, edema, and local hyperthermia predominate. There is an increase in sensitivity to the action of stimuli, which some patients interpret as a slight soreness.
As in the previous case, the disease can develop primarily, but is more often detected against the background of other pathologies. Periodontitis in diabetes mellitus is especially persistent. The disease develops or progresses rapidly during pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause, especially if there is a history of gingivitis. It is observed in endemic goiter and Itsenko-Cushing's disease.
Pain in the gums is most characteristic of Vincent's stomatitis. Soreness and bleeding of the gums are the first symptoms of the disease. This is due to the fact that the pathological process begins with the gingival margin, and only then spreads to other parts of the mucosa. Subsequently, erosions and ulcers appear. There is a putrid smell from the mouth, subfebrile condition.
In other types of pathology, the presence or absence of pain in the gum area is determined by the affected area. In patients with ulcerative stomatitis, a symptom is observed when defects are located near the edge of the gums and the inflammatory process spreads to nearby tissues. Manifestations are especially pronounced in the presence of severe somatic diseases and in childhood.
Pain in the gums with malocclusion develops against the background of the above dental pathologies (periodontal disease, periodontitis, etc.), which are secondary in nature and occur as a result of contact disturbances between the teeth, improper distribution of chewing load and chronic traumatization. The symptom is observed in some patients with deep and crossbite. It can occur with distal and mesial occlusion.
Gum injury can be acute or chronic. Acute injuries are the result of accidents at home (for example, a blow or fall), scratching with hard pieces of food (fish bone, the edge of a cracked nut), or medical instruments during dental procedures. Pain is local, sometimes accompanied by bleeding or hemorrhage. Disappear after a few days. Chronic injuries are associated with poor fitting dentures. The pain is not intense, persists for a long time, increases with food.
Allergy to prosthetic materials is usually a type of stomatitis (contact allergic stomatitis). Along with pain when eating, it is manifested by dryness, burning and the presence of a metallic taste in the mouth. It can develop many months or even years after the installation of prostheses. It is combined with swelling of the buccal mucosa, soft palate and tongue, burning sensation in the tongue, impaired taste sensitivity.
The dentist determines the cause of pain in the gums. Dental examination involves assessing oral hygiene, examining the condition of soft tissues, identifying signs of inflammation and mucosal defects, determining the presence and severity of periodontal pockets and tooth mobility. As part of an additional examination, the following procedures are prescribed:
Dental checkup
Mandatory measures for pathologies accompanied by pain in the gums are professional oral hygiene and the treatment of carious teeth. In case of allergies, mechanical injuries due to errors in the installation of prostheses, repeated prosthetics or correction of structures is necessary. Patients with malocclusion undergo orthodontic treatment. Depending on the nature of the disease, therapeutic regimens may include:
Patients with hyperplastic gingivitis accompanied by persistent hyperplasia undergo gingivectomy. Treatment of periodontal diseases includes gingivotomy, curettage of periodontal pockets. 3-4 degree of tooth mobility is an indication for their removal with subsequent prosthetics.