Inflamed gums? What helps at home, and when to see a dentist
Mild gum inflammation caught early often settles within days to weeks with the right care at home: gentle brushing at the gum line, and cleaning between your teeth every day. But plaque that has hardened into tartar won't come off with a brush or any remedy: that is where home care ends, and a cleaning at the clinic finishes the job.
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Will it settle at home, or not?
Early on, usually yes. Mild gum inflammation (gingivitis) is caused by plaque: a soft, sticky layer of bacteria that forms on your teeth every day. A brush and floss remove it when they reach it. So when you clean properly every day, the gums often settle within days to weeks. The first thing you notice is that the bleeding eases.
But plaque left at the gum line hardens over time into tartar: a hard layer stuck to the tooth, at and below the gum line. Tartar doesn't come off with a brush, or floss, or any rinse or remedy. As long as it is there, the gum around it stays inflamed. That is where home care ends: tartar comes off with a cleaning at the clinic. Why it can't be removed at home is explained in Cleaning or whitening: what is the difference.
So what can you do yourself?
A lot. The new plaque every day is your job; the old tartar is the clinic's. When the two go together, your gums get a real chance to settle and stay healthy.
How do you know your gums are inflamed?
They bleed when you brush or floss, they are a darker red, and they look a little swollen. Healthy gums sit firm against the tooth and don't bleed when you brush. Often there is no pain at all, so bleeding is usually the first sign you notice. If you smoke, you may not see any bleeding at all, because smoking masks it while the inflammation is still there. So don't wait for bleeding as your sign: a regular check-up is what picks it up, and mention that you smoke when you first call.
What helps at home, every day
This is what actually removes plaque, and eases the gums until they settle:
- 1
Brush gently at the gum line, twice a dayUse a soft brush and a fluoride toothpaste. Angle the brush at the line where the gum meets the tooth, and use small, gentle movements, tooth by tooth. Hard brushing with a stiff brush doesn't clean any better, and over time it can make your gums recede.
- 2
Clean between your teeth, once a dayUse floss, or an interdental brush if the gaps are wider. This is where plaque builds up that an ordinary brush can't reach.
- 3
Don't stop brushing because your gums bleedMany people's first reaction is to keep away from the spot that bleeds. That is exactly what lets plaque build up more. The bleeding comes from the inflammation, not from the brush, and it eases when you keep going gently.
- 4
A lukewarm salt-water rinse, for comfortHalf a teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water. Rinse and spit, and don't swallow it; for a child, only if they can spit it out. It soothes the gums, but it doesn't remove plaque or tartar. So it is comfort, not treatment, and no replacement for the brush and floss.
- 5
Give it two weeks, and watchWith proper care every day, the bleeding usually eases. If it is still there after two weeks, it needs an examination. But some signs don't wait the two weeks, like swelling, pus or strong pain, or if you have diabetes or you are pregnant: When you need an examination.
If your gums hurt, ask a pharmacist or doctor which painkiller suits you. Tell them first if you have a long-term condition, take a blood thinner or any other medicine, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if it's for a child. Don't take more than they say, and don't add another painkiller on your own unless the pharmacist or doctor tells you to. Never put a painkiller tablet on the gum: it can burn it and make the pain worse. A painkiller eases the pain, but it doesn't treat the cause. And if the pain is strong, call today.
Salt, olive oil and cloves: what do they really do?
Plenty of remedies for the gums get passed around. The short answer: none of them removes tartar, and at most they make you more comfortable. Here is each one in turn:
| Remedy | What it actually does |
|---|---|
| Lukewarm salt water | Soothes the gums and rinses the mouth a little. But it doesn't remove plaque or tartar: comfort, not treatment. |
| Olive oil | There is no good evidence it treats gum inflammation, and rinsing with it doesn't remove tartar. |
| Cloves and garlic | Concentrated on the gum, they can burn it and make the pain worse. And the cause of the inflammation stays where it is. |
| Herbs and tahini | No herb and no food removes tartar or stops the cause of the inflammation, whatever is written about it. |
| Mouthwash | Some mouthwashes only cover the smell for a few hours. An antiseptic rinse can help the brush and floss, and your dentist tells you whether you need one, and for how long. But no mouthwash removes tartar or replaces cleaning. |
| Toothpaste | Helps the brush do its work, and its fluoride protects against decay. But no toothpaste removes tartar that has already formed. |
| Scrubbing your teeth with salt, and mixtures | Coarse salt can cut inflamed gums, and where gums have drawn back it can wear the exposed root. Acidic ones like lemon and vinegar eat into the enamel, and abrasive ones like charcoal scratch it. And none of them removes tartar, above or below the gum line. |
When do you need an examination?
Home care is often enough for mild inflammation caught early. But some signs tell you it has gone past what home care can do, and each one has its own next step:
This doesn't wait
If the swelling has reached your eye or your neck, or it becomes hard to swallow or breathe: go to the nearest hospital emergency department now; this can't wait for an appointment. Let us know afterwards.
- Call now: a fever with the pain or the swelling, swelling under the jaw, or difficulty opening your mouth. With diabetes, any swelling or fever doesn't wait: call now. If you can't reach us or the clinic is closed: go to the nearest hospital emergency department, don't wait.
- Call today: a clear swelling or a lump in one spot on the gum, or swelling in the cheek, or pus or a salty or foul taste coming from the gum. This doesn't wait for an ordinary appointment, and don't start an antibiotic on your own: Dental emergencies and abscesses.
- Call today: strong pain in the gum, bleeding that doesn't stop with pressure. If the bleeding is heavy, comes with dizziness, or the clinic is closed: go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Taking a blood thinner? Don't stop it on your own, and don't assume the bleeding is the medicine alone, because the inflammation adds to it.
- See your GP (family doctor) today: if your gums bleed on their own, without brushing, and it comes with bruising on your body or bleeding from somewhere else.
- Call this week: bleeding that has gone on for more than two weeks despite proper care, or gums that bleed on their own, without brushing (with no bruising or bleeding elsewhere). Bleeding that goes on often comes from tartar or deeper inflammation, and the examination finds out which.
- Call this week: gums that have drawn back, a tooth that looks longer, or an adult tooth that feels loose (not a baby tooth that is due to fall out). It can mean the inflammation has reached the bone that holds the tooth. The earlier it is seen, the better the chance of keeping your tooth.
- Call this week: bad breath that doesn't go away with brushing. It can come from bacteria in tartar and under the gum, where the brush can't reach, or from a coating at the back of the tongue. Morning breath on its own, though, is normal for many people, and the difference is explained in Morning breath: normal, or a sign of something?
- Call this week: a sore, an ulcer, or a white or red patch on the gum that hasn't gone within three weeks, even if it doesn't hurt. Most are minor, but they aren't something to treat at home, and an examination is the first step to finding the cause.
- If you have diabetes, or you are pregnant: book an examination as soon as you notice bleeding, without waiting the two weeks. High blood sugar makes gums get inflamed faster, and gum inflammation can make blood sugar harder to control. Pregnancy hormones make the gums swell and bleed more easily with plaque. A cleaning eases them, and the doctor arranges the appointment around what is comfortable for you.
Call and we will find you the earliest slot, and tell you what to do until you arrive. If the cause is tartar, it comes off with a cleaning at the clinic: Teeth cleaning and tartar removal.
And if you need the examination, what happens?
The examination looks at all your gums and teeth, not only the spot that bleeds. You hear how far the inflammation has gone, what you need, and why, before anything starts. Then the decision is yours.
After the cleaning, the work comes back to you: the same care as in this article, but on clean gums. Half the treatment is at the clinic, and the other half is in your hands.
And who treats you?
The clinic has a team of dentists, Dr. Adnan Alakhras among them. His full qualifications are on his page: Read about the doctor and the clinic.
Questions people ask
Does gingivitis go away on its own?
On its own, without better cleaning at home, usually not. But with proper care every day, mild inflammation caught early often settles. Its cause is plaque, and a brush and floss remove plaque. What doesn't go at home is tartar: if it is there, the bleeding may ease a little while the inflammation carries on. Smoking can also hide the bleeding while the inflammation is still there, so if you smoke, a regular check-up is more reliable than bleeding. And if it hasn't eased after two weeks of proper care, that is a sign to get it checked.
How long does gingivitis take to heal?
With proper care every day, mild inflammation caught early often settles within days to weeks. The first thing you notice is that the bleeding eases. If there is tartar, the gums won't fully settle until it is removed. After the cleaning, they need a few more days to weeks, depending on their state and your care. You'll get an estimate for your own case at the examination, not a promise.
What is the fastest way to treat gum inflammation?
There is no overnight fix. The fastest route is to start today. Brush gently at the gum line twice a day, clean between your teeth once, and use a lukewarm salt-water rinse for comfort. If there is tartar, the shortest route is having it removed at the clinic, because no herb and no mouthwash removes it. If your gums hurt, a pharmacist or doctor decides which painkiller suits you, with the details at the end of What helps at home. And if the pain is strong, call today.
Which home remedy actually helps inflamed gums?
The remedy that actually works isn't a mixture; it's a daily habit. Use a soft brush at the gum line twice a day, floss or an interdental brush once a day, and don't stop because your gums bleed. A lukewarm salt-water rinse adds comfort on top. As for mixtures, none of them removes tartar, and some harm the enamel or burn the gums. The details are in the table of what the remedies really do.
Does salt water get rid of gum inflammation?
It soothes, but it doesn't get rid of it. A lukewarm salt-water rinse calms the gums and rinses the mouth a little. But it doesn't remove plaque or tartar, and they are the cause of the inflammation. Keep it mild: half a teaspoon in a glass of water, rinse and spit, and don't swallow it; for a child, only if they can spit it out. A stronger mix adds no benefit, and it can irritate inflamed gums. As for scrubbing your teeth with salt, no: coarse salt can cut the gums, and where gums have drawn back it can wear the exposed root.
Is olive oil good for gum inflammation?
There is no good evidence it treats gum inflammation. The cause is plaque and tartar on the tooth at the gum line, and oil doesn't remove tartar. So if you like using it, keep it on top of the brush and floss, not instead of them, and if you swish it, spit it out afterwards; it isn't for young children.
When is gum inflammation serious?
Early on it isn't serious, and it usually settles with care and cleaning. But it needs an examination when bleeding goes on for more than two weeks despite care, the gums draw back, or an adult tooth feels loose, and the earlier it is seen, the better the chance of keeping your tooth. Swelling, pus, strong pain, or bleeding that doesn't stop with pressure: call today. A fever with the pain or the swelling: call now. If the swelling reaches your eye or your neck, or it becomes hard to swallow or breathe, that is a hospital emergency, not an appointment. All the signs are under When you need an examination.
Your next step
An examination of your gums. You come in, you are examined, and the aim is that you leave knowing whether your home care is enough, or whether there is tartar that needs a cleaning, and why. And how gum inflammation is treated at every stage: Gum inflammation, bleeding and recession.
Pages that go with this one
This is general information, not a diagnosis of your case, and the decision is made at the examination.