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Tooth Troubles
A lump, spot or blister on the gum. This page explains why these are taken seriously and what a dentist may do. It does not identify what your child has — that needs an examination, and in some cases a biopsy.
A distinct bump on the gum is different from gums that are generally sore or bleed when brushed. It is a single thing in one place, and that pattern is worth describing clearly when you ring.
Some are harmless. Some are the visible sign of an infection associated with a tooth. The AAPD describes odontogenic infections — those originating from a tooth — as usually arising from the death of the pulp, from gum disease, or from other dental conditions. That possibility is why this page is more insistent than most on the site about getting it looked at.
If there is a lump or a spot on your gum, show a grown-up today rather than waiting. It might be nothing, and the dentist is the person who can tell.
The reason this page pushes harder than the others: a bump on the gum can be the only outward sign of an infection at the root of a tooth, and it can appear without much pain. A child who is not complaining is not evidence that nothing is happening. Have it looked at.
Not all of them are serious. The difficulty is that they look alike:
That last point is worth sitting with. Where a lesion needs identifying properly, there is an established way to do it — and that is a further reason not to try to identify it from a photograph on the internet.
Three things worth knowing.
A bump that bursts and relieves pressure has not resolved anything underneath. The AAPD is clear that treating the source is central and that antibiotics should not replace source control and drainage.
If swelling extends beyond the gum into the face or jaw, or your child seems unwell, treat that as needing attention now. See Facial swelling and contact your dentist, doctor or emergency services.
The AAPD states that biopsies can establish a definitive diagnosis for most oral lesions. Not every bump needs one, but uncertainty is resolvable by a clinician.
An examination and very likely an X-ray, since what is causing a bump on the gum is often at the root of a tooth rather than in the gum itself.
Ring your dentist rather than waiting for the next checkup. This is the page in this section where the advice leans hardest towards making the call, because the possibility behind it is one that does not improve on its own.
Contact your dentist, your child’s doctor or your local emergency services now, rather than booking, if there is facial swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or your child seems unwell in themselves.
It burst and my child says it feels better. Ring anyway, today. Relief of pressure is not resolution of a cause, and the AAPD is explicit that dealing with the source is central and that antibiotics alone do not replace it. Tell the practice what happened when you call.
Contact your dentist and let them judge how quickly your child needs to be seen. If there is facial swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or your child seems unwell, contact your local emergency services. See When to seek emergency care.
That does not settle it. A pulp that has died may stop causing pain while an infection continues. The absence of pain is not evidence of the absence of a problem, which is why the advice here is to ring rather than to monitor.
It could, and it could be several other things. That is exactly the distinction an examination makes and a description cannot. Ring and describe what you see.
Possibly as part of treatment. The AAPD states antibiotics are indicated to halt local spread and control swelling but should not replace source control and drainage — so a prescription alone is usually not the whole answer.
No, and neither can any website. The AAPD notes that biopsies can establish a definitive diagnosis for most oral lesions, which gives a sense of how far identification can be from simple observation. Take the photograph to your dentist.
Every clinical statement on this page comes from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry documents below.
This website is for education only and does not replace care from your dentist, physician, or emergency services.