$Unique_ID{PAR00088}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Gumboils}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Gumboils mouth pain Inflammation swelling decayed tooth Injury
Injuries discoloration discolorations Aspirin acetaminophen warm salt water
rinse rinses canker sore gum sores molar molars permanent teeth gumboil
abscess pus root canal infection infections cavity filled cavities}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Gumboils


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Inflammation, swelling, or pain at the base of a decayed tooth
     - Injury or discoloration of associated tooth

     HOME CARE
     - Aspirin or acetaminophen will help relieve pain.
     - Have the child rinse his mouth with warm salt water or apply warm soaks
       to the affected area.
     - If the tooth is about to come out naturally, the loss of the tooth will
       allow the pus to drain and the gumboil to heal without treatment.
     - If the tooth is not loose or is a permanent tooth, consult a dentist.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Do not confuse a gumboil with a canker sore, which does not protrude in
       the same way as a gumboil.
     - If the child loses baby molar teeth prematurely, the spacing and
       positioning of the permanent teeth can be affected.
     - Some dentists believe that a gumboil on a baby tooth can endanger the
       permanent tooth before it emerges.  If your young child has a gumboil,
       see the dentist.
     - Never apply aspirin directly on a gumboil or the surrounding area.


     A gumboil is an abscess (a collection of pus in inflamed tissue) in
the gum at the base of a decayed tooth.  It is caused by infection reaching
the root canal and traveling to the tip of the root.  Gumboils are
common after a cavity in a tooth has been repaired and filled.  They are
also common in untreated decayed or injured teeth.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Gumboils can be recognized by their typical appearance.  Inflammation or
swelling that comes to a point, like a tender pimple, appears where the lip
meets the gum at the base of a decayed tooth.  The area is sometimes painful.
Eventually, the gumboil discharges yellow pus.  Usually, the associated tooth
is obviously injured (fractured or discolored) or has an untreated or recently
filled cavity.  The tooth may be tender when tapped or may be slightly loose.
A gumboil is not usually accompanied by fever.
     A gumboil may be confused with a canker sore.  However, a canker sore is
ulcerated (looks as if it has been dug out); it does not protrude like a
gumboil.

HOME CARE

     Give aspirin or acetaminophen for pain.  Warm soaks or warm saltwater
rinses will help the inflammation and promote drainage of the boil.  (Use
one-half teaspoon of table salt in about four ounces of warm water.)  If the
associated tooth is about to fall out naturally, a gumboil can be left
untreated.
     The loss of the tooth will allow the pus to drain and the gumboil to
heal.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  If a young child has a gumboil, consult the dentist.
  -  Never apply aspirin directly on a gumboil or the surrounding area.  (This
     practice can cause a chemical burn.)
  -  Some dentists feel that a gumboil on a baby tooth endangers the permanent
     tooth that has not yet emerged.
  -  Premature loss of first-year or second-year molars (or permanent six-year
     molars) can cause later problems in spacing and positioning of the
     permanent teeth.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Your dentist will decide whether to leave the tooth in, pull it, replace
it with a space retainer, or save the tooth by performing root-canal work.  It
is seldom necessary to give the child antibiotics or to open and drain the
gumboil.

RELATED TOPICS:  Herpes simplex; Toothache