6 Home Remedies For Swollen Gums That Actually Work

We are all aware of the importance of oral health, but does your oral health care include taking care of your gums too? Swollen gums can be a lot more than uncomfortably annoying and it can be a signal for gum disease. Maintaining proper dental hygiene can prevent you from scrounging the internet for home remedies for gum pain and swelling.

The gums are made of pink tissues that are firm and cover our jawbones. This tissue is full of blood vessels, thick and fibrous. If your gums are protruding or bulging out then you should watch out for swollen gums.

Swollen gums in most cases are painful and sensitive. They can bleed easily when brushing or flossing your teeth. As painful and severe as it sounds, it can be treated with some home remedies for swollen gums at an early stage. 

4 Common Causes Of Swollen Gums

1. Gingivitis

This is considered to be the most common reason for swollen gums. Irritated and swollen gums are common symptoms in this gum disease. Many people don’t know they have gingivitis because the symptoms can be quite mild. Gingivitis is most often the result of poor oral hygiene, which allows plaque to build upon the gum line and teeth.

2. Pregnancy

Swollen gums can also occur during pregnancy. The hormonal changes that your body goes through during pregnancy may increase the blood flow in your gums and may cause your gums to be more easily irritated, leading to swelling.

3. Vitamin Deficiency

This is the most ignored reason for swollen gums, like any other body part our gums and overall oral health is dependent on vitamins and minerals especially vitamin B and vitamin C deficiency of vitamin C causes scurvy and that results in gum swelling. 

4. Infection

Infections caused by fungi and viruses can result in swollen gums. In some cases, the attack of STDs like herpes or oral thrush can be the gum swelling reasons. 

6 Instant Home Remedies For Gum Swelling

Natural medicines are always considered the best and affordable too. Below are few home remedies for swollen gums that are composed of ingredients easily available in our household. 

1. Saltwater Mouth Rinse

This is the easiest and most effective home remedy for gum pain and swelling. Saltwater is a natural disinfectant and thus helps you get rid of all the microbes in your mouth that might be causing the inflammation of your gums. When you rinse your mouth with warm salt water, you can expect to get rid of swollen gums too.

1. Place the salt into a glass.
2. Pour the warm water over it.
3. Use a spoon to mix it well.
4. Now take some of this mixture into your mouth and swish.
5. Spit it out after a few seconds.
6. Repeat the process with the remaining saltwater in the glass.

2. Lemon Water 

As said above, vitamin C is important for our oral health, and lemon is anti-inflammatory and alkalising, also fresh lemon has lots of nutrients that include calcium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A and pectin fibre. This is one of the best home remedies for gum swelling, as it kills the bacteria, and takes care of the nutritional deficiencies too. 

1. Take a glass filled with warm water.
2. Squeeze some lemon juice into the water.
3. Now take a big sip of warm lemon water and swirl it well inside your mouth.
4. Spit the water out.
5. Repeat the process with remaining water.
6. After you have finished rinsing your mouth with lemon water, wait for a few minutes and then rinse your mouth with plain water.

3. Clove Oil 

Thanks to Eugenol, the volatile oil that is present in the clove. Eugenol has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help you get rid of swollen gums and even tooth pain. Clove is one of the favourite home remedies for swollen gums from the grandma’s secrets.

1. Add clove oil to olive oil or coconut oil.
2. Soak a small cotton ball in this oil mix. 
3. Now hold this cotton ball between the teeth of the affected gum for a while to get rid of tooth pain or swollen gum. 

4. Alum 

Alum is a natural mineral and is known for its antiseptic properties. It kills the germs and helps your skin tissue to shrink. Alum helps in reducing inflammation and reduces pain. 

1. Take a small piece of alum and grind it into a fine powder.
2. Mix one teaspoon of this fine alum powder with one glass of warm water.
3. Use this solution twice a day to rinse your mouth.

5. Castor Oil With Camphor 

Castor oil is known for its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, not to forget its anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities. All these properties make this ingredient a superhero in home remedies for gum swelling. Similarly, camphor helps in reducing swelling. 

1. Take a small piece of camphor and grind it in fine powder. 
2. Mix it with castor oil to get a paste-like consistency. 
3. Gently massage the swollen gum to reduce the inflammation and swelling. 

6. Babool Bark 

Babool bark has been used in Ayurveda since ancient times to maintain overall oral health. This astringent herb contains lots of tannins. Therefore, it can constrict body tissues so that the flow of blood towards the swollen part is stopped and helps treat swollen gums.

1. Take a babool bark and rinse it well.
2. Now in a vessel add two mugs of water and babool bark.
3. Let this water boil till the time it has remained half of its original quantity. 
4. Once the water is at room temperature, rinse your mouth with this mixture 2-3 times a day. 

How To Prevent Gum Swelling?

If you have swollen gums and symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks, it is advisable to see a dentist. Below are some precautionary tips that you can follow in your daily life to prevent swollen gums.

1. A regular oral hygiene regimen should be followed, that involves brushing and flossing daily, at least twice. Do this with a light but steady hand, to avoid applying undue pressure on the gum.
2. An antiseptic mouthwash is a good and effective value addition to your oral hygiene regimen, as it helps to eradicate the inflammation-causing bacteria in the mouth.
3. Increase your water intake throughout the day to stimulate the production of saliva, which naturally helps to keep bacteria at bay. 
4. Up your intake of fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin B and vitamin C.

Gum health is an important and crucial part of oral health, it is equally important to take care of gums just like teeth. If not taken care, swollen gums can be excruciatingly painful and can cause severe problems for oral health.