Top 14 Natural Treatments for Swollen Gums

Swollen gums or gingival swelling causes mouth irritation, sensitivity, and pain that’s difficult to manage. It becomes hard to speak or eat and it can easily ruin someone’s day.

There are different factors that cause swollen gums and the cure depends on the cause. Once you’ve figured out what caused your swollen gums, it becomes easier to treat it with organic home remedies.

What causes swollen gums?

Nutritional deficiencies, gum disease, certain foods, and various factors can cause gingival swelling.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a notch higher than gingivitis and it happens when the area around the tooth is inflamed. It’s a serious gingival infection that should be given proper treatment at the soonest possible time to avoid not just tooth loss, but more serious health conditions such as stroke or heart attack. When you fail to seek treatment for gingivitis and work on your oral hygiene, you will suffer from gingival swelling which leads to pockets between the tooth and gums. These pockets are empty open spaces and can be easily infected. Periodontitis, when not given proper treatment, can ruin the tissue, gums, and bones that’s supporting your pearly whites. It is highly recommended that once you notice that the area around your tooth is swollen, consult your dentist and look for ways to treat the condition.

Gingivitis

When the topic is about gum disease, the word “gingivitis” comes to mind almost immediately because it’s one of the known factors that triggers swollen gums. People who suffer from gingivitis have gums that are swollen, red, and bleeds easily. If you’re one of the few people who think that oral hygiene is not important and are not at all bothered with the plaque build-up on your gum line and teeth, then you’re extending an invitation to gum problems such as gingivitis and tartar build-up.  This will eventually lead to gingival swelling. It doesn’t seem bothersome at first, but it can actually lead to tooth decay and tooth loss when not treated immediately.

Pregnancy

It’s hard to believe but yes, pregnancy is one of the popular causes of swollen gums. The hormonal imbalance that happens in the body during pregnancy affects blood circulation. This often leads to gingival swelling because of the increase of blood flow to the gums and mouth.

Mouth Infections

Some mouth problems are triggered by fungi and virus such as thrush and herpes. This can lead to gingival swelling inside your mouth. When this happens, treatment for gingival swelling must include treatment of other underlying infections.

Nutritional Deficiency

When you don’t have enough vitamin C and vitamin B in your body, there’s a high chance that you’ll have gingival swelling. Vitamin C is essential in repairing your gums and teeth and keeping them healthy.

Now that you know the causes, it’s time to look for ways to treat the condition. While there are plenty of natural treatments for swollen gums, it’s still important that you ask your dentist before trying anything so you can figure out what caused the gingival swelling and what the appropriate treatment is.

Natural Treatments for Swollen Gums:

1. Lemon Water Treatment

Fresh lemons have anti-inflammatory properties and that’s why they’re one of the popular ingredients used in treating swollen gums. They also contains nutrients such as potassium, calcium, vitamin A, pectin fibre, and vitamin C that compensates for the lack of vitamins and minerals that may be one of the factors that triggered the swelling. Lemon also has anti-bacterial properties that remove the presence of microbes in your mouth. The alkalizing nature of lemon also makes it very difficult for the bacteria to survive in your mouth.

You will need:

  • One lemon
  • One glass of warm water

Here’s how:

  • Fill a glass with warm water.
  • Get the lemon, cut it in two, and squeeze it to extract the juice. Mix the lemon juice and the warm water. If you find it difficult to tolerate the taste and acidity of the whole lemon, then start with just one half of it. As you get used to the lemon’s taste and acidity, gradually increase the amount of lemon juice for this remedy.
  • Sip some of the lemon water and swirl it around your mouth. Make sure all areas are covered.
  • Spit the lemon water out.
  • Keep repeating the process until you run out of lemon water.
  • Once you’ve finished all of the lemon water, wait for a couple of minutes before using plain warm water to rinse your mouth. If you’re not bothered by the lemon water’s acidic after taste, then this step is not necessary.
  • Do the lemon water treatment once or twice a day for best results.

2. Alum Treatment

Alum is a natural mineral that’s well known for its medicinal properties. It’s a natural anti-septic and does a great job at removing germs from our bodies. The astringent properties of alum helps shrink swollen skin tissues that’s why it’s one of the known natural treatments for swollen gums. You hit two birds with one stone when you use alum because it helps ease the pain while soothing the gum inflammation.

You will need:

  • Alum
  • A glass of warm water

Here’s how:

  • Grind the alum until it becomes powder.
  • Get the glass of warm water and mix in one teaspoon of alum powder.
  • Use this solution to wash your mouth two to three times a day to treat gingival swelling.

3. Clove Oil Treatment

Clove oil has Eugenol which contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that are essential in treating toothache and swollen gums.

You will need:

  • Clean cotton ball
  • Two to three drops of clove essential oil
  • A teaspoon of olive oil

Here’s how:

  • Mix the olive oil and the clove oil until it becomes a homogenous mixture.
  • Get the cotton ball and dip it in the clove oil mixture.
  • Gently dab the soaked cotton ball on the affected part of your gums and let it stay there for a few minutes. Keep doing this to treat toothache and gingival swelling.

4. Salt Water Treatment

The salt water mouth rinse is a classic. It’s a known quick, effective, and natural treatment for swollen gums. Salt water can effectively remove the microbes in your mouth because it’s a natural disinfectant. These microbes may have caused your swollen gums.

You will need:

  • A glass of warm water
  • A teaspoon of table salt

Here’s how:

  • Put the salt in an empty glass.
  • Pour in the warm water.
  • Use a spoon to stir the mixture thoroughly.
  • Sip a small amount of the warm salt water and swirl it around your mouth.
  • Spit the warm salt water out after a couple of seconds.
  • Keep doing this until you run out of salt water.
  • Wash your mouth with warm salt water twice or thrice a day or until your gums are no longer swollen.

5. Castor Oil Treatment

Castor oil is packed with antifungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiviral, and antibacterial properties that make it an excellent treatment for swollen gums. It improves the functions of the lymphatic system. It flushes out the toxins from the body  through lymphatic drainage to prevent the build-up of toxins which can trigger diseases and inflammation. Castor oil, when absorbed by your tissues and skin, improves your lymphocyte (disease-fighting cells) count. When there are plenty of lymphocytes in your body, it becomes easier to remove the toxins from your tissues and it becomes easier to flush out the toxins from your system. This speeds up your body’s healing process and soothes the inflammation.

You will need:

  • Camphor
  • Castor oil

Here’s how:

  • If you’re using camphor and it’s not yet in powder from, grind it first.
  • Add the powdered camphor to the castor oil until you have a paste-like consistency.
  • Use the tip of your fingers to gently spread it on the affected area of your gums and keep rubbing it for a couple of minutes until the inflammation is reduced.
  • If you’re not using camphor, you can go ahead with just using castor oil to treat your swollen gums.

6. Babool Bark Treatment

The bark from the babool tree is one of the popular natural treatments not just for swollen gums, but for overall oral health. The babool bark is commonly used in India and is one of the Ayurvedic herbs used in dental treatments. It is a natural astringent that’s loaded with tannins and it has the ability to tighten the body tissues to stop the blood from flowing to the swollen part of the gums.

You will need:

  • Water
  • Babool Bark

Here’s how:

  • In a pan, put the babool bark and some water.
  • Boil the water until what’s left is half of its original amount.
  • Let it cool and set the pan aside.
  • Use this water to wash your mouth to treat the gingival swelling.
  • Do this treatment twice or thrice a day.

7. Mustard Oil Treatment

Mustard oil contains anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It also has Glucosinolate, a compound that helps make the mustard oil a natural anti-microbial agent. Mustard oil helps promote blood circulation once you use it to massage some parts of your body. Using mustard oil to massage your gums helps soothe gum swelling and promote blood circulation.

You will need:

  • A pinch of salt
  • A teaspoon of mustard oil

Here’s how:

  • Put some mustard oil on your hand.
  • Add a pinch of salt and mix it thoroughly.
  • Gently apply the salt-mustard oil paste on your gums and massage slowly.
  • Keep the pressure light and gentle so you can stimulate blood circulation. When you put too much pressure, this will cause further damage to your already swollen gums. Do this step with caution.
  • Spit the salt-mustard oil mixture from your mouth after four to five minutes. Rinse it with warm water.
  • Do this treatment two times a day to speed up the recovery of your swollen gums.

8. Ajwain Carom Seed Treatment

Ajwain Carom Seed is more popularly known as Bishop’s weed seeds and is highly effective in treating gingival swelling. It has thymol which contains anaesthetic, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties that supplements the anti-inflammatory properties of the Ajwain Carom Seed.

There are two ways in using the Ajwain Carom Seed to treat swollen gums:

Ajwain Carom Seed Paste

You will need:

  • A teaspoon of Ajwain seeds
  • A few drops of mustard oil

Here’s how:

  • Dry or roast the seeds until you can smell the nice aroma.
  • Grind the roasted seeds to get the fine powder.
  • Add some mustard oil to the Ajwain seed powder and mix it until it has a paste-like consistency.
  • Use the tip of your fingers to gently spread the paste on your swollen gums.

Ajwain Carom Seed Oil

You will need:

  • Water
  • Ajwain Carom Seed (Bishop’s Weed) Essential Oil

Here’s how:

  • Get some water.
  • Add some drops of Bishop’s weed oil to the water and mix thoroughly.
  • Sip some of the mixture, swirl it around your mouth for a few minutes.
  • Spit it out.
  • Rinse.

9. Hot and Cold Compress Treatment

A hot and cold compress can relieve some of the pain you’re feeling when you’re suffering from gingival swelling. The type of compress, however, is highly dependent on your gum condition. If your gums are swollen but you can’t feel any pain, use the cold compress to ease the swelling. If you’re suffering from pain minus the gum swelling however, use warm compress. If you’re suffering from both gum swelling and pain, then alternate hot and cold compress but leave gaps in between. Cold compress tightens the blood vessels which helps lessen gingival swelling. Hot compress provides relief from pain.

Here’s a guide on how you can do cold and hot compress to treat gum swelling:

Hot compress for gum swelling:

  • You will need:
  • A clean towel
  • Warm water

Here’s how:

  • Pour the warm water in a clean basin.
  • Put in the clean towel and soak it in the warm water.
  • Get the cloth and drain off excess water.
  • Place the cloth gently on your face, near the area where your gums are swollen. This is better than putting the cloth directly on the gums because it will only do more harm than good.
  • Let it stay there for a few minutes.
  • Keep repeating the process until you can no longer feel the pain.

Cold compress for gum swelling:

You will need:

  • A clean cloth
  • Some ice cubes

Here’s how:

  • Put the ice cubes on the clean cloth.
  • Place the wrapped ice cubes on your face, near the area where your gums are swollen. Avoid putting the cloth directly on your swollen gums as this will only worsen the infection.
  • Let it stay there until you can no longer feel the swelling. After a few minutes, you will notice that the affected area has gone numb.

10. Aloe Vera Treatment

According to clinical studies, aloe vera is highly effective in curing gingival swelling caused by periodontitis. The gel from the aloe vera leaf contains anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant properties that can help combat different types of oral conditions. It soothes gum swelling and lessens the bleeding from gums.

There are different ways to use aloe vera for gum swelling:

You will need:

  • Aloe vera leaf

Here’s how:

  • Use aloe vera gel as a toothpaste. Use your fingertips to gently rub it on your teeth and gums. Do this three to four times daily.
  • Use aloe vera gel as a mouth rinse. Mix some aloe vera gel and water. Sip some of the mixture and swirl it around your mouth for a couple of minutes. Do this twice or thrice daily.

11. Salt and Ginger Paste Treatment

Ginger contains gingerols that makes it a good anti-inflammatory agent. Its antioxidant properties stops the production of inflammatory compounds.

You will need:

  • Water
  • A pinch of salt
  • One to two inches of ginger slice

Here’s how:

  • Extract the ginger paste by grinding it.
  • Get some salt and add it to a teaspoon of ginger paste.
  • You have the option to add some water to the salt and ginger paste so you can easily apply it and massage it on your swollen gums.
  • Massage your gums for sixty seconds.
  • Do this treatment two to three times daily.

12. Baking Soda Treatment

The alkaline nature of baking soda creates an environment in your mouth where microbes and bacteria won’t be able to survive. It deactivates the acidic wastes that are released by the bacteria. More than curing your swollen gums, baking soda can also help whiten your teeth.

You will need:

  • Water
  • Baking soda

Here’s how:

  • Mix baking soda and some water until it has a paste-like consistency.
  • Use your fingertips to gently wipe it on the affected area.
  • Massage gently.
  • If you want to whiten your teeth, spread the paste on your pearly whites.

13. Essential Oil Treatment

There are actually plenty of essential oils that you can use to treat gingival swelling. Some of these essential oils are lavender, lemon, clove, myrrh, and tea tree. Below is a list of essential oils that you can mix together effectively treat your gums. Take note, however, that this recipe consists of a strong blend of essential oils and may only be used for advanced gingival swelling.

You will need:

  • Two tablespoons of coconut oil or any carrier oil
  • Two drops of oregano oil
  • Two drops of clove oil

Here’s how:

  • 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.

14. Myrrh Oil Treatment

One of the most used essential oils for treatment of gum swelling is myrrh oil. It contains terpenoids or chemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Terpenoids and other compounds present in myrrh make it a good treatment for gum and teeth issues such as gingivitis, swollen gums, mouth ulcers, and toothache. It also gives you’re a fresher breath that’s why it’s present in most commercial brands of toothpaste and mouthwash.

You will need:

  • One to four drops of myrrh oil
  • A tablespoon of water or carrier oil (olive oil or coconut oil)

Here’s how:

  • Mix some myrrh oil with carrier oil or water.
  • Sip some of this mixture and swirl it around your mouth. Let it pass between your teeth.
  • Keep doing this for five to ten minutes.
  • Brush your teeth thoroughly to remove the oil from your mouth.
  • Do this process twice or thrice a day to treat swollen gums.
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