Why Do My Gums Hurt?

11 / 03 / 2024

Persistent sore gums may be a sign you’re brushing your teeth too hard. This is causing you more harm than good. And if you’re rocking braces or dentures, they could be the culprits behind your gum irritation. But it’s not always about the hardware in your mouth – nature’s own rollercoaster, like your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or the journey to menopause, can cause your gums to become sore. Be careful though, your gum pain may be a sign of something more serious, like gum disease.

To be sure and prevent further complications, it is important to consult with your dentist as soon as possible. This way, you’ll spare yourself from costly treatment and perhaps save a tooth or two.

More Reasons Why My Gums Hurt?

Other causes that are linked with gum pain are stress, tobacco use, harsh brushing, improper flossing, food allergy, canker sores, blood disorders, vitamin deficiency and even hormonal changes. The pain gets more pronounced when the gums and teeth are under pressure (e.g. chewing hard) or being exposed to hot or cold foods and beverages.

The pain often signals us that there’s something wrong. Our bodies always send us a message about current and potential problems. However, we’re always busy and occupied which is why we often ignore the signals and we keep ourselves busy all day and all night. It’s also possible that the pain only comes and goes and it seems there’s nothing to worry about. Another likely reason is that many of us don’t have the time or attention to visit the dentist.

How To Treat Sore Gums At Home?

Yes, there are home remedies that provide quick relief. Salt water rinse, hot or cold compress and over-the-counter pain medications are common. However, it’s just a temporary relief and anytime the pain might come back and bother your sleep or work. Also, the real problem might be getting worse day by day. The gum disease might become serious and lead to costly and time-consuming treatments. If it gets too severe, you might need to undergo ongoing treatment to stop or slow down bone loss.

It’s crucial and urgent to visit the dentist as soon as you can. This way you can immediately know the real cause of your gum pain. This might spare you from serious dental procedures and take away your worries once and for all. And once treated and dealt with, you can better focus on your work or everyday living. After all, pain in the gums or teeth can be extremely distracting. It will be hard to focus on your meal, job interview, business presentation or special gathering if there’s a pain that comes and goes (or something that’s unbearable where you need to excuse yourself).

Visit Big Smiles Dental

Here at Big Smiles Dental we regularly do general, cosmetic and preventive dentistry for people coming from Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra and surrounds. We take our time during diagnosis and we listen carefully to patients about their concerns. We also take our time to explain all the possible options so that our patients can make an informed decision.

Practicing good oral hygiene such as regular brushing and flossing will really help prevent the gum disease and pain. However, you might be always busy and days just go by quickly. You might have learned to ignore the pain and other signs because it’s all tolerable yet. But it might get serious and in the most inconvenient moment. It’s great to prevent that from happening by visiting the dentist and deal with the problem straight away.