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What Are the Common Causes of Pus in the Gums?

Madeleine A.
Madeleine A.

Pus in the gums is almost always caused by a bacterial infection, though how that infection came about and what caused it can vary from person to person. Poor oral hygiene is often to blame. People who don’t regularly brush or floss their teeth risk getting food and other particles stuck between their teeth and gums, and when these are left to decay and break down they can become quite harmful. Inflammation of the tooth sockets, usually at the ligament level, can also lead to broken skin and potential infection, as can gingivitis, which is commonly known as gum disease. In all of these instances, pus is usually just one of several symptoms. Pain, tenderness, and swelling usually happen, too. People with any or all of these symptoms are usually encouraged to get prompt dental care in order to prevent things from getting worse.

Understanding Pus

Good oral hygiene may help prevent the development of pus in the gums.
Good oral hygiene may help prevent the development of pus in the gums.

Pus is typically an immune response to a festering infection. It is thick and sticky in most cases, and tends to be yellowish in color. It is one of the immune system’s defense mechanisms, but it is also a sign that something is seriously wrong, particularly when it occurs in the gums. Getting treatment usually depends on understanding both where the infection is situated as well as what caused it specifically — which is to say, identifying why the offending bacteria is in the gum bed in the first place.

Hygiene Issues

Pregnant women are at high risk for developing gum disease.
Pregnant women are at high risk for developing gum disease.

Dentists and other medical professionals often stress the importance of good oral hygiene, often understood to be regular brushing and flossing of the teeth. Some of this is related to appearance and basic social expectation but a lot of it is actually scientific. The mouth is a moist environment that is in many respects the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, and the frequent introduction of different food particles provides ample fuel for many different strains to thrive, grow, and multiply. Toothpastes and mouthwashes will typically kill or at least wash away the majority of these bacteria, and regular flossing will remove the bulk of their food supply.

Mouthwash may help kill the majority of bacteria in the mouth.
Mouthwash may help kill the majority of bacteria in the mouth.

Bacteria that grow between the teeth and in the gum beds are almost always on the lookout for ways of expanding and growing ever more powerful. Any cuts or scrapes in the gums can give them the perfect opportunity to spread, and this is normally when pus occurs.

Ligament Inflammation

Pyorrhea, which is an inflammation of the ligaments holding the teeth into their sockets, may also be to blame. This sort of problem is often also referred to as periodontitis. It usually happens when microorganisms and bacteria have penetrated the gum barrier and have begun eating away at the bone coverings that anchor the teeth. This exposes the ligaments and sockets, making them ripe targets for bacterial attack. When this happens, the body often responds by oozing pus to cover the affected area and in an attempt to flush the bacteria away.

Oral antibiotics may be prescribed to treat pus in the gums.
Oral antibiotics may be prescribed to treat pus in the gums.

When pyorrhea has been left untreated for long periods of time it often leads to tooth loss or abscess. Pus often forms around these sites, too. Though in instances like this the pus may not technically be originating in the gums, it often spreads there.

Chronic Gum Disease

Gum disease is another common cause. This condition, which is often referred to by its medical name gingivitis, can be caused by a number of different factors. Medications to treat seizures often list gingivitis as a side effect, for instance, and hormones also play a role; pregnant women and women going through menopause are often some of the most at risk.

Continue flossing even if gingivitis is present in the gums.
Continue flossing even if gingivitis is present in the gums.

One of the most common symptoms of this condition is bleeding gums. Left untreated, this bleeding can open a passageway for more serious infection which, over time, can lead to pus. In many cases this causes people to avoid flossing their teeth, though dentists usually recommend that flossing should continue despite bleeding, since the bleeding will stop once the gums regain their health.

Related Symptoms

Those with pus in the gums are urged to see a dentist.
Those with pus in the gums are urged to see a dentist.

Pus rarely happens in isolation, and oral infections typically cause any number of uncomfortable symptoms. These include swollen or painful gums, toothache, sore throat, and swollen glands. Patients may also experience a fever, headache, and nausea. An infection that causes pus in the gums can also cause people to feel sick. When pus is swallowed, it can cause a systemic infection, producing fever, chills, nausea, muscle pain, and fatigue. All are signs that the person should get medical help.

Common Treatment Options

The hormonal changes experienced during pregnancy can cause gum disease.
The hormonal changes experienced during pregnancy can cause gum disease.

Infections bad enough to produce pus are commonly treated with oral antibiotics. These types of medications are powerful, but it is almost always essential that people take the entire round, even if it seems like things have cleared up. If pills remain, the infection may not actually be healed, and in some cases could come back even stronger later on. Dentists may also recommend an anti-bacterial mouthwash to protect against harmful growth, and they usually encourage all patients to brush and floss regularly.

Oral infections may cause pus and toothache.
Oral infections may cause pus and toothache.

A general dentist is usually well qualified to treat most minor gum complaints. Conditions that produce severe or chronic infections, however, may need to be treated by a specialist known as a periodontist. This person may be better suited to help people with really serious mouth problems.

Discussion Comments

backdraft

I had an infection in my mouth a few years back. At first I just thought that I had a cut on my gums, but after a few days the cut became inflamed and then I started to get a very weird taste in my mouth.

I finally decided to see a doctor and they prescribed a course of oral antibiotics as treatment. I had to take the drugs for about two weeks, but the infection started clearing up in a mater of days. Luckily there have been no lasting effects.

nextcorrea
I think that I may have some pus in my gums right now. Is this a problem I can treat by brushing or using mouthwash, or do I need to see a dentists right away?
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    • Good oral hygiene may help prevent the development of pus in the gums.
      By: Kurhan
      Good oral hygiene may help prevent the development of pus in the gums.
    • Pregnant women are at high risk for developing gum disease.
      By: LanaK
      Pregnant women are at high risk for developing gum disease.
    • Mouthwash may help kill the majority of bacteria in the mouth.
      By: chas53
      Mouthwash may help kill the majority of bacteria in the mouth.
    • Oral antibiotics may be prescribed to treat pus in the gums.
      By: amawasri
      Oral antibiotics may be prescribed to treat pus in the gums.
    • Continue flossing even if gingivitis is present in the gums.
      By: Sylvie Bouchard
      Continue flossing even if gingivitis is present in the gums.
    • Those with pus in the gums are urged to see a dentist.
      By: Minerva Studio
      Those with pus in the gums are urged to see a dentist.
    • The hormonal changes experienced during pregnancy can cause gum disease.
      By: hartphotography
      The hormonal changes experienced during pregnancy can cause gum disease.
    • Oral infections may cause pus and toothache.
      By: Sergey Furtaev
      Oral infections may cause pus and toothache.
    • Swallowing pus from the gums may lead to an infection, causing nausea.
      By: Piotr Marcinski
      Swallowing pus from the gums may lead to an infection, causing nausea.
    • Chronic gum disease is a common cause of pus in the gums, in addition to bad breath.
      By: stefanolunardi
      Chronic gum disease is a common cause of pus in the gums, in addition to bad breath.