Medical expert of the article
New publications
Redness of gums in an adult and a child
Last reviewed: 12.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Redness of the gums is quite common and accompanies most diseases of our body, not to mention the oral cavity. When acute respiratory viral infections, infections in the ENT organs, diseases of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract occur, redness of the gums occurs. And in each individual case, the mechanism of formation of this redness or hyperemia is different. Just as in the oral cavity - inflammation, trauma, allergic reaction can occur. All processes both in the body and in the oral cavity are interconnected, so redness of the gums should be considered not only locally, but also from the point of view of the connection with the body.
It is worth noting that childhood has its own characteristics regarding the color of the gums. In a child, the color of the gums ranges from bright red to light crimson, and this color is absolutely physiological. Although, when any diseases of the mucous membrane appear in infants, the entire oral cavity becomes a deep red color with bubbles or white plaque, everything depends on the pathology.
However, in order to avoid this symptom and the diseases associated with it, it is important to understand the risk factors that can lead to hyperemia of the gums. First of all, it is worth noting the health and hygiene of the oral cavity in general. In the presence of carious teeth, poor oral hygiene and general somatic diseases, the number of infectious agents increases and the resistance of the mucous membrane in the oral cavity decreases. These factors create conditions for the occurrence of diseases, and in combination with the causes - lead to them. Therefore, regular visits to the dentist and good hygiene can reduce the risk of disease.
[ Causes gum redness
To better understand the causes of hyperemia of the gums, it is necessary to divide the causes into several groups.
The first group of reasons worth noting is inflammatory gum diseases and periodontitis. This group is very extensive, since the reasons leading to it are most often banal and simple. We are talking about poor oral hygiene, the development of a large amount of dental plaque, plaque, which initially cause gum inflammation. Without treatment, the process worsens, the attachment of the gum to the tooth is injured and periodontitis occurs. With this disease, inflammation spreads to the periodontal tissue (ligamentous apparatus of the tooth), purulent discharge, resorption of the bone surrounding the tooth, tooth mobility and, ultimately, their loss occur. According to statistics, gum hyperemia as a result of gingivitis and periodontitis accounts for 69% of the total number of reasons.
Gum trauma is one of the common causes of gum redness. Traumatic factors include teething, surgery, chemical trauma, mechanical, temperature and other types. Any trauma can be acute or chronic. It depends on the duration of the traumatic agent. If a person grabs a glass of boiling water and drinks it, then such a trauma will be considered acute, and if he drinks a very hot drink every day for several weeks, then such a trauma will be considered chronic.
When teething at any age, the gums in this area become bright red. This is a physiological process that is accompanied by inflammatory phenomena, including a change in the color of the gums. Most often, such redness goes away after a few days and does not cause much discomfort.
After tooth extraction or other oral surgery, the mucous membrane around the wound is deep red. Due to the trauma to the gum margin during the procedure, pain and redness of the gum occur.
Chemical trauma to the gum occurs with acids, alkalis and other types of substances that aggressively affect the gum tissue. This can occur as a result of mistakenly taking an alkali or acid solution, as well as during medical interventions. Thermal injuries are possible when drinking hot drinks, cryotherapy. Mechanical damage occurs when injured by rough, sharp objects, such as bones, or sharp edges of teeth or dentures. Also, if there are several types of metal dentures in the mouth, galvanism can occur, in which the mucous membrane and gums turn red.
One of the reasons for reddening of the gums is an allergic reaction. This is a large group of diseases that have an allergic mechanism of development and include allergies to drugs to diseases such as acantholytic pemphigus and lichen planus. Most often, allergies are to anesthetics, antibacterial drugs, plastics of dentures and plates.
When cysts become purulent, gum cancer can also cause redness of the gum. Until the cyst becomes purulent, it can grow completely asymptomatically and not bother anyone, but if this happens, pain and redness of the gum will occur.
Redness of the gums often accompanies dental procedures and medical errors. The effect of orthophosphoric acid on the gums, diathermocoagulation, gum retraction and many other things often cause hyperemia of the gums. Therefore, you should not think that if the gums turn red after medical intervention, this means that the doctor did something wrong. There are a number of procedures in which gum injury is inevitable, and if you follow the doctor's recommendations, this condition will quickly pass.
Pathogenesis
In inflammatory periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, redness of the gums appears as one of the first symptoms. This occurs as a result of the impact of plaque and plaque on the gums, which leads to swelling, hyperemia, bleeding and pain. If dental treatment is carried out at this stage, at the stage of gingivitis, then the gums can be restored in their entirety. However, if no intervention is made, periodontitis may occur, an inflammatory-destructive disease in which plaque infection damages the attachment of the gum to the tooth - the attachment epithelium. After such damage, infectious agents move further, deep into the periodontal gap along the tooth and destroy the periodontium. As a result of damage to the ligamentous apparatus, the bone tissue to which the tooth is attached by means of ligaments is also absorbed. Over time, in the absence of treatment, such teeth fall out.
Periodontitis can be generalized and localized. Generalized periodontitis is spread to the teeth of the jaws, and localized periodontitis occurs between two teeth. The cause of localized periodontitis can be a poor-quality filling in the area of the contact point of the teeth or a failed crown.
Gum trauma has a different mechanism depending on the traumatic agent. If the trauma is mechanical, then due to the disruption of the integrity of the epithelium and underlying tissues, an inflammatory process occurs. If the trauma is thermal, then the gum epithelium is exposed to high temperatures, which leads to denaturation or breakdown of proteins. If the trauma is chemical, then alkali or acid causes gum necrosis. In case of gum trauma after surgery, the mechanism is the same as with mechanical trauma. The peculiarity is that during a purulent operation, powerful infectious agents enter the area of gum damage, which can lead not only to inflammation, but to the appearance of purulent exudate. In this case, the treatment and restoration of the wound surface may increase in time.
Allergic processes occurring in the oral cavity proceed by the same mechanisms as in other organs and systems. For example, when using a plastic denture, an allergic reaction may occur. When plastic comes into contact with the mucous membrane of the gum, a cascade of reactions is triggered, a large number of immune cells are produced against the irritant, in this case - plastic. Then the immune complexes concentrate in the area of contact with the irritant and damage the mucous membrane, itching, burning and redness of the mucous membrane of the gum, palate and other areas in the place of contact with the denture occur.
Symptoms
When considering redness of the gums as a symptom of many diseases and conditions in the oral cavity, one should distinguish between manifestations of gum hyperemia in diseases of the oral cavity and diseases of other organs and systems.
As stated above, gum redness is most often observed in periodontal diseases - gingivitis and periodontitis. The clinical picture of gingivitis is accompanied by pain, bleeding gums, swelling, redness. With hypertrophic gingivitis, the gum can also increase in volume, with a severe degree, the gum can overlap the tooth to its entire height. Most often, the teeth of the opposite jaw injure this overgrown and bright red gum, causing it to bleed.
With periodontitis, the first signs may be bleeding gums, their redness, food getting stuck between the teeth, bad breath. However, later, in the absence of treatment, the roots of the teeth become exposed and their mobility appears. The result is the removal of healthy teeth from the oral cavity. Such a clinical picture is observed due to damage to the epithelial attachment and the resulting destruction of bone tissue around the tooth.
Gum hyperemia occurs with traumatic effects on the oral cavity. With all types of injuries, a bright red, swollen and painful area appears. With chemical injuries, this area is covered with a whitish coating, with long-acting mechanical injuries, the coating is dirty gray. Injury to the gum with a small sharp object causes redness at one point, with injury by thermal or chemical agents, the area of redness can reach the entire oral cavity. If galvanosis occurs (with the presence of several types of metal in the dentures), then in addition to all of the above, a metallic taste in the mouth and a burning sensation are added.
Oral injuries can also occur due to treatment or improper manipulation. In the case of a poor-quality crown, a red rim appears on the gum around the tooth, gingivitis may occur first, and then localized periodontitis. In this case, the interdental spaces near the tooth with the crown suffer, into which food gets clogged over time. Also, gum injury can be caused by a poor-quality filling, which is at the contact of two teeth. If its final processing and polishing are violated, residual material remains, which presses on the interdental papilla. Thus, gingivitis occurs first, after which the process moves to the periodontal tissues.
Most often, of course, the cause of redness of the gums will be diseases in the oral cavity. However, there is another group of diseases that manifests itself as hyperemia of the gums. These are lesions of internal organs and systems. In acute respiratory infections, even before the appearance of clinical signs of the body as a whole, redness of the gums may appear in adults and especially in children. Bubbles, aphthae, ulcers, blisters in the mouth appear, ENT organs are affected. This especially concerns the back wall of the pharynx and tonsils. In such serious diseases as diabetes, hepatitis, HIV infection, manifestations in the oral cavity also begin with redness of the gums, after which bumps on the gums and neoplasms can form. With such systemic diseases, the mucous membrane becomes thinner, becomes stagnant red, and long-term non-healing erosions and ulcers appear on it. In acute leukemia, red gums swell and increase in size, these changes are especially pronounced on the gum on the side of the tongue.
Who to contact?
Diagnostics gum redness
In order to understand what disease red gums are a symptom of, you need to collect and analyze information from a specific case. All types of traumatic injuries directly affect the gum. That is, if there is evidence that you were burned with hot tea or injured with a fork while eating, you can safely say that this is traumatic gingivitis or stomatitis. If you experience pain, bleeding gums, an unpleasant odor, or food getting stuck in your mouth, you should think about gingivitis or periodontitis. Usually, to determine the disease, the doctor sends you for an X-ray examination of the jaws. Orthopantomogram or CT. One of the proposed types of instrumental diagnostics will help in determining the disease. If the described symptoms are accompanied by a sluggish appearance, decreased skin turgor, a dirty gray coating on the mucous membrane in the oral cavity, you must pass the following tests:
These tests will help to differentiate diabetes, leukemia, HIV infection, hepatitis. If there is a suspicion of neoplasms, it is recommended to do CT or MRI of the area of interest, as well as conduct a histological examination.
In small children, redness of the gums most often occurs either with viral diseases or with bacterial ones. The occurrence of an infection and the appearance of redness, rashes and blisters in the child's oral cavity indicates that these symptoms are caused by one pathogen and there is no need for additional diagnostic methods.
Treatment gum redness
Red gums need to be treated taking into account the characteristics of the underlying disease. If an inflammatory mechanism of gum redness occurs, it is necessary to adhere to certain principles. First, the doctor needs to perform professional oral hygiene, which includes removing dental plaque, grinding, and polishing the surfaces of the teeth. After that, antibacterial drugs (Levosin, Levomekol, Metrogil, etc.), antiseptics ( chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, Rotokan), anti-inflammatory substances (heparin ointment), keratoplastics (Solcoseryl, Methyluracil) are applied. Paraffin dressings with vitamin preparations are also applied, light therapy is performed, and the gums and interdental spaces are irrigated with various antiseptic solutions.
Read also: Treatment of periodontitis
The treatment is enhanced by prescribing medications for oral administration – antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, keratoplastic, immunomodulatory drugs, vitamins and microelements. To strengthen the immune system, Immudon, Proteflazid and homeopathic drugs such as Lymphomyazot are prescribed.
Vitamins A, E and D, as well as calcium minerals, are especially important for periodontal tissues. In the remission stage, physiotherapy procedures such as cryotherapy, darsonvalization, and fluctuation are performed. Laser treatment with red and yellow spectrum also has a beneficial effect.
In the presence of periodontal pockets, surgical manipulations are performed that are aimed at eliminating pathological pockets. These include curettage, flap operations, gum and alveolar ridge plastic surgery. Curettage is scraping pathological tissues from periodontal pockets with special instruments - curettes. There is also vacuum curettage and open curettage, in which a pocket is cut and the root and gum are thus cleaned of pathological tissues.
Flap operations have good results when using methods of directed regeneration. Their essence is that when artificial bone and gum are implanted, the implanted tissues are covered on all sides by membranes that prevent the epithelium from growing inward. Thus, when performing these surgical interventions, it is possible to restore a certain level of bone tissue and strengthen teeth in it.
In case of a small mechanical injury, it is necessary to rinse the mouth with decoctions of medicinal herbs - chamomile, sage, oak bark, nettle, linden, etc. In case of chemical injuries - applications of antidotes, antiseptic treatment of the damaged area of the gum, reducing the load on it.
Complications and consequences
Whether there will be complications or not depends on the underlying disease, the symptom of which is reddening of the gums. With gingivitis, which will be treated by a doctor, everything will end in recovery without any complications. If gingivitis is not treated, there is a risk of periodontitis. And this disease, unfortunately, cannot be completely cured. Although regular maintenance therapy can stop the process and stabilize the health of the oral cavity.
Untreated periodontal diseases can lead to extensive periodontal pockets, abscesses, and, as foci of chronic sepsis, can cause diseases in other organs and systems.
Injuries by any type of damaging agents have an outcome depending on the degree of damage. If the impact is mechanical, for example, a bone prick, and only the epithelium is damaged, then in 3-4 days everything will heal without a trace. However, if the damage is by chemical agents, and the depth of damage affects deeper layers than the epithelium, there will be tissue necrosis and scarring.
Allergic diseases will always have consequences associated with the restriction of the use of those substances that cause allergies. Whether it is prostheses, or food, or medicines, or filling materials. If all measures are not taken to eliminate allergens, such formidable complications as Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock may develop.
Prevention
Prevention of gum redness should be comprehensive and multidirectional. This is due to the fact that this symptom can occur with a large number of diseases. Therefore, preventive measures should be aimed at preventing the above-mentioned diseases. For example, to prevent gingivitis and periodontitis, it is necessary, first of all, to maintain a good level of oral hygiene. You should also regularly visit your dentist to assess the condition of fillings, crowns and dentures. If the filling in the gingival part of the tooth has a poor fit or chips, then it must be restored or replaced. The same applies to crowns and bridges. Their viability is determined not only by how firmly they are fixed to the teeth, but also by how stable the condition of the bone and soft tissues in the area of the orthopedic structure. Unfortunately, there is an opinion in society that doctors can intentionally remove good fillings and remove normally functioning crowns for their own benefit. However, such cases are extremely rare, because to commit such actions, the doctor must be very short-sighted and unscrupulous. Removing crowns is always a risk for both the doctor and the patient. In some cases, repeated dental prosthetics are even impossible. Therefore, you should trust the doctor and replace the restoration in time, the service life of which has long expired. The same applies to removable dentures. They also have their own limit of use. Constant changes in the condition of the jaw bone tissue lead to a violation of the fit of the prosthesis. As a result, redness of the gums, bedsores and inflammation occur. Therefore, it is always worth paying attention to changes in the oral cavity in time and giving priority to your health.