Problems with gums in children, as a rule, are detected immediately after their occurrence, since the baby begins to be capricious, does not sleep well, does not want to eat, complains of pain. Quite often, the baby's gums turn red, which can be triggered by various reasons - both harmless and pathological. Why can a baby's gums turn red and what should parents do in such a situation?
Possible reasons
If your baby is under 2 years old, redness on his gums may be a sign of milk teeth that are cutting. Simultaneously with redness and a slight swelling, the baby can refuse food, scratch the gums with toys and gnaw on fists. Also, the production of saliva increases in the baby, and in some children, teeth are teething with fever, a short-term stool disorder, a runny nose or a cough.
In older children, redness on the gums can appear when molars are erupting, but this happens very rarely (often in adolescents with the appearance of wisdom teeth). A much more common cause of swollen red gums in a child over 5 years old is gingivitis. This is the name of an inflammatory disease that affects the gums due to poor cleaning of teeth from plaque, a decrease in local immunity, mechanical trauma to the gums, or the effects of a number of other factors.
You can find out more about a condition such as gingivitis in the following video. It will discuss in more detail the causes, symptoms of gingivitis and methods of dealing with this disease of the oral cavity.
Other reasons for the appearance of redness on the gums are considered:
- Periodontitis. In addition to redness on the mucous membrane of the gums, this disease is manifested by loosening of the teeth and threatens with their loss.
- Launched caries. If the infection enters the pulp and causes suppuration near the root, the baby will develop a red swelling on the gum. Over time, pus forms inside, which will end with the appearance of a fistula in the gums.
- Stomatitis. At the first stage of the disease, the baby's gums turn red, and a little later, white dots or specks appear on them.
When to see a doctor
If red dots or swollen red areas appear on the child's gum, he must definitely get an appointment with the dentist in the near future. The doctor will determine the cause of the redness of the gums and prescribe the appropriate treatment. It is especially important to consult a specialist as soon as possible if:
- Bleeding gums appeared.
- Spots with a white or greenish-gray coating have formed on the gums.
- The kid complains of severe pain.
- A putrid odor appeared from the child's mouth.
- The lymph nodes of the jaw are enlarged.
- The child has a high fever.
- The baby is sleepy and lethargic.
- The kid refuses to eat.
Treatment
In a situation where the reddening of the gums has appeared due to the eruption of a new tooth, they try to help the child using teether toys and gels with an analgesic effect. Often, as soon as the tooth "hatches", the redness disappears.
If the doctor has determined that the child's red gums are a symptom of gingivitis, first treatment in a dental clinic is required, and then treatment of the oral cavity at home. In the dentist's office, the child will be cleaned from plaque, will be shown how to clean the teeth correctly, and will also advise on how to choose a paste and a brush. After cleaning, they will prescribe rinsing and treating the gums with anti-inflammatory gels and ointments.
Different medications are used in the treatment of gingivitis and should be recommended by a doctor. Among them there are metrogil denta, kalgel, holisal, dentinox and others. For irrigation and rinsing, furacilin, miramistin, chlorophyllipt, rotocan, chamomile infusion and other means are used.
If deep caries has become the cause of reddening of the gums, the treatment will depend on the type of tooth - with deep damage to the milk tooth, it is usually removed, and the root tooth is tried to be preserved by filling its canals.
