14 Home Remedies for Swollen Gums

When your pink gums become swollen, they may make your day a difficult one to carry out! Gingival swelling or the commonly called swollen gums make your mouth irritated, sensitive, and sometimes even painful beyond tolerance. If you wonder and often ask yourself as to ‘why are my gums swollen,’ you might find the answer in the various causes of swollen gums. Once you know the causes, you may then be able to treat swollen gums at home with the help of certain remedies.

Why are my gums swollen: Causes of Swollen Gums

Gum diseases, certain foods, nutritional deficiencies, and many other causes can be behind your swollen gums.

Gingivitis

This famous gum disease called gingivitis is the most common cause of swollen gums. In fact, bacteria caused swelling of the gums is only called gingivitis where your gums become red, swollen and they bleed easily.  If you do not care about your oral hygiene and let the plaque get build up on your teeth and gum line, you are inviting the troubles called tartar build-up and gingivitis which will them give you swollen gums. Swollen gums caused by gingivitis look like a very small problem but if left untreated, it may cause tooth decay and even loss of tooth.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis itself means inflammation around tooth and is the advanced state of gingivitis. If you do not treat gingivitis and take care of your oral hygiene, you will have swollen gums around tooth and your gums would start pulling away from the teeth creating spaces known as pockets. These pockets easily get infected.  If not treated, periodontitis destroys the bones, gums, and tissue that support your teeth. So, if you have swollen gums around one tooth, take steps to treat the condition as it might be periodontitis which is a serious gum infection that may not only lead to tooth loss but such serious health conditions as heart attack or stroke!

Nutritional Deficiency

Lack of such vitamins in your body as Vitamin B and C can also give you swollen gums. Vitamin C has a crucial role to play when it comes to maintaining and repairing your teeth and gums.  Lack of this vitamin C leads to gum diseases and becomes one of the main causes for swollen gums.

Mouth Infections

There are certain infections of mouth that are caused by virus and fungi such as herpes and thrush. They may also cause swollen gums inside your mouth. In such cases, swollen gums treatment would actually require the treatment of the underlying infections.

Pregnancy

Yes, this is one more very common cause of swollen gums. The hormonal imbalance in the body during pregnancy may put the blood circulation out of gear that might lead to swollen gums as there can be more blood flowing towards the mouth and gums.

Now the question is how to treat swollen gums! Of course there are various at home swollen gums treatment that can help you get rid of swollen gums. However, you should always consult dentist to identify the real cause behind your swollen gums so that you may take the correct steps in time and avoid losing teeth.

Remedies for Swollen Gums

1. Salt water Mouth Rinse for Swollen Gums

Salt water mouth rinse is one of the oldest and still one of the most effective remedies for swollen gums. Salt water 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.

Get this:

• Table salt- 1/2-1 tsp
• Warm water- 1/2 – 1 glass

Do this:

• Place the salt into a glass
• Pour the warm water over it.
• Mix it well, if needed with the help of a spoon
• Now take some of this warm salt water into your mouth and swish it all around there.
• Spit is out after few seconds.
• Repeat the process with the remaining salt water in the glass.
• You my rinse your mouth 2-3 times a day or as and when you require in order to get rid of swollen gums.

2. Lemon Water Remedy for Swollen Gums

The anti-inflammatory and alkalizing fresh lemon has lots of nutrients that include calcium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A and pectin fibre. It also has fine antibacterial properties. All this makes it one of the best remedies for swollen gums. One, because its antibacterial properties help you get rid of microbes and all. Two, its nutrients make up for the deficiency of minerals and vitamins that might be causing your gums to swell up. Third, its alkalizing nature makes the environment inside your mouth difficult for bacteria to survive. Therefore, you may consider having warm water with freshly squeezed lemon every day. You may also consider rinsing your mouth with lemon water. Here’s how to do this.

Get this:

• Lemon- 1
• Warm water- 1 glass

Do this:

• Take the glass filled with warm water.
• Cut the lemon into two halves and squeeze its juice into the warm water. If you cannot tolerate the highly acidic activity of the whole lemon, initially use only half a lemon and increase the amount of lemon juice gradually.
• Mix the lemon juice into the warm water well.
• Now take some warm lemon water into your mouth and swirl it all around inside there.
• Spit the water out.
• Repeat the same process with the remaining lemon water.
• After you have finished rinsing your mouth with lemon water, wait for a few minutes and then rinse your mouth with plain water. This is optional and may be done only if you feel uncomfortable with the acidic after taste of lemon water.
• Repeat this 1-2 times a day for fast relief from swollen gums.

3. Clove Oil for Swollen Gums

Clove is the grandma’s secret for toothache! And it can equally relieve swollen gums. Thanks to Eugenol, the volatile oil that is present in the clove. Eugenol is has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help you get rid of swollen gums and even tooth pain!

Get this:

• Olive oil- 1/2 tsp
• Clove essential oil- 2-3 drops
• Cotton ball

Do this:

• Add clove oil to the olive oil and mix well.
• Soak the cotton ball in this oil mix.
• Now dab this oil soaked cotton ball against your swollen gums and hold it there for some time to get rid of swollen gums and toothache.

4. Alum for Swollen Gums Remedy

The very popular and easily available alum is a natural mineral that has any medicinal uses due to its beneficial properties. It is anti-septic and doesn’t let the germs survive. Due to its excellent astringent properties, alum helps your skin tissue to shrink. All this become important when it comes to treatment of swollen gums. When you use alum for swollen gums, it not only reduces the inflammation but also relieves pain.

Get this:

• Alum
• Warm water

Do this:

• Take the alum and grind it to fine powder.
• Now take one tsp of such fine alum powder and mix it with a glass of warm water.
• Rinse mouth with this solution 2-3 times a day to get rid of swollen gums.

[Also Read: Remedies for Instant Wisdom Tooth Pain Relief]

5. Mustard Oil for Swollen Gums

Mustard oil has excellent anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. There is one compound in the mustard oil which is called Glucosinolate and this is the component that makes it an anti-microbial agent. As mustard oil is a strong stimulant, when you massage any part of your body with it, the oil helps stimulate your blood circulation to that part. Thus when you will massage mustard oil on your gums, you will help stimulate proper blood flow there and relieve the inflammation along with getting the added advantage of its anti-microbial properties.

Get this:

• Mustard oil- 1 tsp
• Salt- a pinch of it

Do this:

• Take the oil into your palm of one hand.
• Now add the salt to this and mix well.
• Start massaging your gums with this mustard oil-salt paste.
• Massage with only a gentle pressure so that you help stimulate blood flow there. Too much pressure however can worsen the condition of your swollen gums. So, be careful.
• Keep on massaging your gums for a good 4-5 minutes.
• Then spit the thing out of your mouth and rinse it with water, if needed with lukewarm water.
• Repeat this regime of mustard oil massage on your gums twice a day so that you get rid of swollen gums fast.

6. Ajwain Carom Seeds for Swollen Gums

Ajwain, better known as Bishop’s weed seeds or carom seeds, is a very effective remedy for swollen gums. Thymol, the oil content of these seeds, has anaesthetic, anti-bacterial and antifungal properties apart from ajwain being an anti-inflammatory agent. You can either use the seeds or the essential oil of ajwain. Here are the two ways to use ajwain seeds for swollen gums.

1^st Way to Use Carom Seeds for Swollen Gums: Make a Paste

Get this:

• Ajwain seeds- 1-2 tsp
• Mustard oil- few drops

Do this:

• Dry roast the seeds till you get a nice aroma.
• Now grind these roasted seeds to get powder.
• Add few drops of mustard oil to this powder and make a paste like consistency.
• Apply this paste onto your gums.

2^nd Way to Use Carom Seeds for Swollen Gums: Use essential oil

Get this:

• Ajowan (Bishop’s Weed) essential oil
• Water

Do this:

• Take some water
• Add a few drops of ajwain (Ajowan)essential oil to this
• Rinse your mouth with this water swishing it all around your mouth for a couple of minutes.

7. Castor Oil for Swollen Gums

Castor oil has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, not to forget its anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities. All these properties of castor oil make it one of the very good remedies for swollen gums too. It also boosts your lymphatic system. Lymphatic drainage is done through blood so that all the waste from your body is drained out of it. When this waste doesn’t drains out properly, toxins build up inside your body and give rise to inflammation and other diseases. When you apply castor oil, the skin and tissues absorb it to boost your lymphocyte count. Lymphocytes are your disease-fighting cells. When there are more lymphocytes, your body speeds up the process of removal of toxins from your tissues. This reduces swelling and promotes healing.

Get this:

• Castor oil
• Camphor (optional)

Do this:

• If using camphor, grind it if it is already not in a powder form.
• Mix it with the castor oil to get a paste like consistency.
• Apply this to your swollen gums and rub gently for few minutes to get rid of the inflammation there.
• If not using camphor, simply rub the castor oil on your swollen gums for few minutes.

8. Babool Bark for Swollen Gums

Babool tree Bark is one of the best remedies not only for swollen gums but for overall health of teeth and gums. It is widely used in India and is one of the popular Ayurvedic herb for dental problems. It is an astringent herb having lots of tannins in it. Therefore, it is able to constrict body tissues so that the flow of blood towards the swollen part is stopped. This helps in the treatment of swollen gums.

Get this:

• Babul Bark
• Water

Do this:

• Take the babul bark and the water in a pan.
• Now boil this water till the time it remains half of its original quantity.
• Let it now cool down.
• Rinse your mouth with this water to get rid of swollen gums.
• You can do this 2-3 times a day.

9. Baking Soda for Swollen Gums

Baking soda is alkaline in nature and thus makes the environment inside your mouth hostile for the survival of bacteria and other microbes. It neutralizes the acidic wastes produced by the bacteria. Not only this, you also get whiter teeth when you brush them with baking soda paste.

Get this:

• Baking soda
• Water

Do this:

• Add some water to the baking soda to get a paste.
• Now rub this paste all along your gumline and give it a gentle massage.
• For whiter polished teeth, brush your teeth with this paste.

10. Ginger and Salt Paste for Swollen Gums

Ginger is a known anti-inflammatory agent.  Its antioxidant properties make it capable of inhibiting the production of inflammatory compounds. This results into its fine anti-inflammatory effects. These anti-inflammatory compounds of ginger are known as gingerols.

Get this:

• Ginger- 1-2 inch piece
• Salt- a pinch
• Water

Do this:

• Grind the ginger to get its paste.
• Now add a pinch of salt to 1 tsp of ginger paste.
• If needed, add a little water to get the consistency of paste that can be massaged into the gums easily.
• Take this ginger salt paste and apply to your gums and rub gently for a minute.
• Repeat this 2-3 times a day

11. Hot and Cold Compress for Swollen Gums

If you have painful swollen gums, compress can be really helpful. But the question is what is good for swollen gums- hot compress or cold compress? Well the answer depends upon the condition of your gums. If it is swollen without any pain, use cold compress. However, if you have pain, you need to use warm compress. When it is both, pain and swelling, use the warm and cold compress alternatively but after giving a gap of sometime. Cold compress constricts the blood vessels and thus reduce swelling of your gums. Hot compress relieves pain effectively. Here’s how to make hot and Cold Compress and apply them to your painful swollen gums.

Make a Hot Compress for Painful Gums

Get this:

• Warm water (and not hot)
• Wash cloth or any other clean cloth or towel.

Do this:

• Soak the cloth into the warm water.
• Take out the cloth and wring it out to drain off the excessive water.
• Now Place this cloth against your face at the point where you have pain in gums. This is good enough as placing the warm compress over the gums directly can injure it further.
• Hold it for some time and then repeat the process.
• Do this until you feel relieved from pain.

Make a Cold Compress for Swollen Gums

Get this:

• Ice cubes
• Clean cloth or towel.

Do this:

• Wrap the ice cubes into the cloth.
• Place it against your face at the site of swollen gums. Do not apply any compress directly on the gums.
• Hold it there for sometime till you feel the swelling has gone. The affected area will become slightly numb.

12. Aloe Vera for Swollen Gums

A clinical research has found out that aloe vera is effective in treating periodontal condition. If you remember reading the causes of swollen gums, you might recall that periodontitis is the inflammation of gums. It is an infectious disease of gums.  Aloe vera gel has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral and antifungal properties that help fight various oral diseases too.  It not only treats swelling of the gums but also reduces bleeding from gums.

How to Use Aloe Vera for Swollen Gums Treatment

You can use aloe vefra gel in the following ways to get rid of swollen gums

• Use it as toothpaste. Rub aloe vera gel all over your gums and teeth. Repeat this 3-4 times a day.
• Use aloe vera as mouth rinse. Add some aloe vera gel in water to make a running liquid that can be swished around the mouth. Rinse your mouth with this swishing it all around your mouth for few minutes 2-3 times a day.

13. Myrrh Oil for Swollen Gums

Myrrh oil is one of the best essential oils for swollen gums treatment. Myrrh oil has terpenoids in it. Terpenoids are the chemicals that have excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This and many other compounds of myrrh make it a beneficial herb for teeth and gums issues such as toothache, gingivitis, swollen gums and mouth ulcers. It also freshens up your breath and that’s why you can find Myrrh oil on the ingredients list of many mouthwashes and toothpaste. Here’s how to use myrrh oil for swollen gums.

Get this:

• Myrrh oil- 1-4 drops
• Water or some carrier oil (like coconut or olive oil)- 1 tbsp

Do this:

• Add the drops of Myrrh oil in water or the carrier oil whatever you have chosen to use.
• Take this mixture in your mouth and swish it all around in your mouth pulling it through the teeth.
• Do this for about 5-10 minutes.
• Brush your teeth after this.
• Repeat 2-3 times a day till you get rid of swollen gums.

14. Essential Oils for Swollen Gums

Not only myrrh but there are a whole lot of essential oils that can help you get rid of your swollen gums. To name a few, you can use clove, lavender, lemon, tea tree oils just as you have used myrrh oil. Here is a recipe of essential oils blend that can help you treat swollen gums effectively. This is a rather strong blend of oils for severe cases of swollen gums.

Get this:

• Clove oil- 2 drops
• Oregano oil- 2 drops
• Coconut oil (or any other carrier oil)- 2 tbsp

Do this:

• Mix all the oils.
• Swish this oil mixture in your mouth for about 5-10 minutes.
• Spit it out.
• Repeat thrice a day to get rid of swollen gums.