What are these white spots on my gums? Gums are among the most sensitive tissue in our body. If your gums hurts due to small lumps caused by peeling, mostly as a result of allergic reaction to the tooth paste, or roughly brushing your teeth, it would be very likely for you to develop the spots. How then does the spots appear, how do you treat them. Please read through to get more insight of how to get rid of the white spots on gum.
White spots in gum can be as a result of an array of causes. You could have developed the white spots on gum as a result of inside mouth peeling. Oftentimes, the result could an allergic reaction to toothpaste or due to vigorously brushing your teeth. Rough teeth, denture/dental work may cause oral irritation in some people. Continuous use of tobacco product may also cause the patches to appear on your gums.
The spots can be cause of pain at times and may result to sensitivity problems. It is important to note that, even though white spots on gums are harmless, early diagnosis is important to establish what actually the cause of the spots on gums is. Treating the underlying cause of the spots is key in getting rid of the white spots.
What does it mean to have white spot on gums?
Could the white spots on my gums be a sign of oral cancer? In most cases, oral cancer is as a result of mutation in the cell’s DNA. It is the mutation that allows the cancer to grow and divide making health gum cells to die. This afterwards may appear as white spots on the gums. The inside of mouth may also begin to peel off.
The cause of the mutation is not clearly know, but over time doctors have identify factors which may increase the risk of oral cancer. They are the following.
- Continuous use of tobacco products
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Continuous exposure to sun
- A weaken immune system
- Also a sexually transmitted virus-Humann Papiloma Virus
You should also know that, white spots on gum is not only due to mouth cancer, but a bunch of many other different causes. If you notice the symptoms worsen and fail to go away on their own, please visit your health care provider.
Pictures, Images of white spot on gums
The image provided below is for illustrative purpose. This is to give you visual aid on how the spots on gums appear and understand the cause of your symptoms.
Possible causes:
Early diagnosis and treatment of the white spots on gums is very important. Our mouth are very important for the general well-being of our bodies. If left unattended for long, your mouth will start smelling and this impact negatively on your self-esteem. Having the spots on your gums is also painful and may lead to drop in general appetite. Please visit your doctor as soon as possible.
The most common causes of mouth infections and disorder including inside mouth peeling and white spots on both tongue and gums has been found to be one or a combination of the following causes;
1. Cancer
Oral cancer also known as mouth cancer occurs when a tumor develops inside the lining of your mouth or on tongue, that is the mucus membrane covering your mouth, throat and digestive lining. It can also be in the surface of the tongue, the gum, the inside of cheeks and the roof of mouth all the way to the throat, gums and lips.
Oral cancer occurs when cells on your lips or mouth develops changes in their DNA, it is this mutation that allows the cancer to grow and divide causing healthy cells to die, this commonly results into the inside of mouth peeing as the lining dies off and starts to fall off. It mostly begins in the flat, thin cells that line the lips and the inside of mouth.
The cause of the mutation is not clearly know, but over time doctors have identify factors which may increase the risk of oral cancer. They are the following.
- Continuous use of tobacco products
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Continuous exposure to sun
- A weaken immune system
- Also a sexually transmitted virus- HPV
Please visit your health care provider as soon as possible to advice on the best possible medication for treatment. The symptoms to watch out for are:
- Sores and mouth ulcers that fail to heal within a week.
- Numbness and loss of test
- White patches on the mouth lining and gums
- Unexplained lumps in the mouth
- Lumps in the neck
2. Teeth whitening
It is very possible for your gums to have white spots after a whitening procedure. Teeth whitening is a process of bleaching your teeth in an attempt to improve appearance. It is a chemical process that usually use oxidizing agent to remove discoloring stains from your teeth.
The flip side of this is that your gum may react with the chemical and cause the skin to peel, the end result will be the formation of white spots on gum. You need to see your dentist as soon as possible. Avoid self-medicating yourself and treating this at home.
The other thing you need to do is discontinue using the bleaching chemical for a while and make sure the gums heal.
3. Hydrogen peroxide
Continuous use of hydrogen peroxide in killing dental bacteria may result in the formation of white patches on gums. Hydrogen peroxide has chemical component and compounds that reacting with your gums tissue and form white patches.
Gums cells opened by injuries such as dental frictions, crack from solid foods or vigorous brushing your mouth, spills the enzyme catalase in them. It is these enzymes that help break the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen forming white spots on the surface of your gums.
You should be warned that using hydrogen peroxide for long will damage gum cells turning the lining of your mouth, tongue and gums with white patches. If the white spots on gums are due to use of hydrogen peroxide, then you could discontinue the use and seek medical attention as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage of teeth and gums in general.
4. Burning mouth syndrome
Burning mouth syndrome is an ongoing chronic medical condition or recurrent burning of mouth without any obvious cause. It is a burning sensation where no underlying medical or dental cause cannot be identified and has no signs in the mouth most of the times. Otherwise, the discomfort caused may affect the tongue, lips, inside the check and the roof of the mouth. The burning sensation rangers from mild and can be severe at other times.
Burning mouth syndrome may at time comprise subjective xerostomia. Xerostomia is a dry mouth sensation where no cause can be found, the causes would otherwise include conditions such as reduced salivary flow.
When you have a burning sensation in the mouth, it could be a symptom of another underlying disease. This is confirmed when systemic factors are found to be implicated, this therefor means that the condition seizes to be burning mouth syndrome. According to the international Association for the study of pain, burning mouth syndrome is “a distinctive nosological entity characterized by unremitting oral burning or similar pain in the absence of detectable mucosal changes”
5. Oral leukoplakia
Leukoplakia also called leucoplakia refers to a condition where areas of keratosis appears as firmly attached white patches on the mucus membranes of the oral cavity. Oral leukoplakia is defined as “a predominantly white lesion of the oral mucosa that cannot be characterized as any other definable lesion”
Oral leukoplakia isn’t normally dangerous but it could be serious at times. If you start experiencing severe itching then you need to see your doctor as soon as possible. Although most are noncancerous, some may show early signs of cancer. The cause for this kind of infection is not known, it is thus advised to see your dentist when you have unusual persistent changes in your mouth.
Oral leukoplakia has various appearance, changes mostly occur on your gums, the inside of your cheeks and at times your tongue. The appearance of the leukoplakia is mostly as follows:
- White or gray patches on gums
- Irregular, flat—texture
- Some area of the mouth can be hardened
- Your mouth can have raised, red lesions likely to show precancerous changes.
For those with weak immune system (due to medication and disease mainly HIV/AIDS) may experience a different type of leukoplakia called hairy leukoplakia. It causes fuzzy, white patches that resemble ridges in their tongue and gums. It is easily mistaken for an oral rash.
6. Oral psoriasis
Oral psoriasis mostly affects the torso and extremities, it can also cause lesion on the mucus membrane including the tongue, lips and inside mouth peeling. The Journal of Dermatological Case report start that it most often appear as red spots and flaky regions on the lips before it can appear anywhere else.
When you start to develop lesions in your mouth, especially the tongue, you need to seek the help of your dentist who will diagnose you and identify the actual cause of the lesions. You need to establish that the lesions are due to psoriasis and not any other health problem.
According to the European Journal of General dentistry, oral psoriasis can manifest as general tongue lesions, form of yellow or red spots, whitish area or semitransparent plaques. With oral psoriasis, sores can appear on the palate (mouths roof), inside the cheeks or the lips as well. It is not common for the disease to affect the gum. You need to see your dentist to avoid the spread of the infection to other parts of the body.
If you notice the following symptoms, the cause of inside of mouth peeling could most likely then be oral psoriasis,
- Red patches with white borders
- Redness of the mucus membrane in mouth
- Peeling gums
- White bumps on tongue
- Ulcers in mouth
Once your health care provider has pursued a biopsy for definitive diagnosis, he/she may prescribe treatment which may include topical cortical steroids or oral medication that will help control your body’s auto immune response.
7. Stomatitis
Stomatitis is the inflammation of the mucus lining of the mouth. It is a painful condition associated with redness, swelling and occasionally bleeding. The white spots on gums could most commonly be due to stomatitis. As the swelling happens, the expansion and contraction of the lining results in the inside of mouth peeling. It is common for the inflammation to be as a result of;
- the condition in the mouth such poor hygiene,
- burns from hot foods and drinks
- A medical condition affecting the entire body.
- Allergic reaction of the body
It is very common for children to get stomatitis at any time of their growth. If you notice your child has developed inflammation in the mouth you need to see a pediatrician who will examine him and establish the real cause of the inflammation to help in early medication and avoid spreading to other parts of the body.
Depending with what is causing the stomatitis, it may be contagious or not. Herpes stomatitis in children is considered contagious. The exposure maybe through kissing and playing in close contact to one another.
Treatment of stomatitis is based on treating the underlying cause of the infection. Avoid the causing factor is also fundamental in treatment of the stomatitis, you need to do the following,
- Uphold local cleansing of the inner mouth
- Maintain good oral hygiene by regularly brushing your teeth
- Avoid sharp food (especially for kids) such as peanuts and fries
- Careful choice of toothpaste should be considered to avoid allergic reaction
- Gentle use of the toothpick
8. Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare but serious disorder that affects the skin. It is usually caused by an adverse reaction to certain medication. It also possible for the Stevens-Johnson syndrome to be caused by an infection.
It begins with flu like syndrome, followed by a red rash that spreads and form blisters. The affected parts will eventually die and start to peel off. You should see your health care provider as soon as possible since the condition is a medical emergency that calls for a lot of care. The treatment mostly aim at identifying the underlying cause, controlling the symptoms and preventing future complication.
It is common for people with Stevens-Johnson syndrome to experience symptoms such as:
- Felling generally unwell
- Severe headaches
- Joint pain
- Fever
- Cough
- White bumps on tongue and mucus lining
After sometime of experiencing the above symptoms, rash may appear inside your mouth, this may lead to the death of tissue in the mucus membrane causing the peeling inside your mouth and white bumps forming. The rash usually appears as a target, darker in the middle and lighter in the outside. If you brush your teeth during this stage, it may cause the development of blisters and ulcers which after busting leaves painful sore. The lining of your throat may become blistered, this can make swallowing painful and lead to serious problem such as dehydration.
Early medication and treatment of this condition is advised. If left unattended, the symptoms could worsen and lead to a life threatening infection. Your health care provider will refer you to an intensive care unit or burn section for careful monitoring and treatment.
The medication would include;
- Strong painkillers to help ease the pain in raw area of the skin and mucus membrane.
- Skin moisturizer, this can be an inhaler or liquid
- Replacement fluids, this are nutrients containing fluids and tablets that help repair the ruptured membrane in your mouth.
- General antibiotic if blood poisoning is detected during your blood test.
- Mouthwash containing anesthetic may be prescribed to numb your mouth and make swallowing easy.
9. Auto immune disorder
It is common for you to have inside of mouth peeling and white bumps forming on tongue and the mouth lining as a result of auto immune disorder. This is as a result of blisters developing inside your mouths mucus membrane lining as a result of your body attacking its own skin tissue. The common cause of auto immune disorder include:
- Pemphiqus, an uncommon, sometime fatal disease causing blisters in the mouth
- Ballous pemphiqoid a less dangerous disease whose blisters are itchy, hard and tight. The skin between the blisters is red and maybe swollen.
- Dermatitis herpertiformis, a chronic inflammatory disease caused by sensitivity or allergy to gluten.
According to the American Autoimmune Diseases Association, auto immune diseases affects up to 50 million Americans. It has also been found to be a chronic condition with no known cure. Nevertheless, treatment involves attempt to control the disease and reduce the severe symptoms. To alleviate the disease, you can do the following;
- Eat balance diet
- Regular exercises
- Give yourself an ample time to rest
- Take a moderate amount of vitamin supplements
- Reduce excessive sun exposure
10. Toothpaste (allergic) reaction
It is possible for your inside mouth to start peeling and develop white bumps on tongue after brushing your teeth. Mild allergic reaction to toothpaste is one of the reason for this to occur. Most of the mouthwash contain alcohol contents. It has been found that continuous use of mouthwash with alcohol could lead to infection such as ulcers and at extreme oral cancer.
Listerine has been found to be the most common mouth wash with alcohols. It is only to be used when required as it has been shown to improve gingivitis and even help heal gum disease. You need to take note, it is very strong and should not be used in excess. When used in excess, the alcohol in it could even burn your inside mouth causing peeling and also form white bumps on the lining. To avoid this, you can dilute the Listerine with water before use. The effect of the alcohol in the Listerine has been found to include
- drying your mouth and lips,
- alter the sense of test
- lead to tissue sloughing (inside of mouth peeling)
What then do you need to do to prevent inside mouth peeling and white bumps forming from using toothpaste? The answer is very simple, for a start, you need to discontinue using the toothpaste that prove allergic to you. Try an alternative toothpaste and note if there has been an improvement or the peeling persists.
If after a week the peeling continues, and the alternative toothpaste still cause the peeling in your mouth, you need to see your dentist as soon as possible. Otherwise you can stick to using toothpaste that has fluoride to help strengthen and strengthen against cavities.
11. STD
Could the white bumps on my tongue mean I am surfacing from an STD? The answer is yes, white spots on tongue or in the mouth can most definitely be an advanced symptom of a sexually transmitted infection, most likely HIV/AIDS. If you experience this symptom and the bumps fail to go away even after the use of over-the-counter medication, you need to see your health care provider as soon as possible.
White bumps on tongue could be a sign of chlamydia, Gonorrhea, or HIV/AID. All these are sexually transmitted infection. There are commonly characterized by:
- An area of thickening in the lining of the mouth and tongue
- White bumps on the mucus membrane and along the throat
- Lose of test
- Cracking of the mouth lining
- Peeling of the mucus membrane
- Dry and cracked lips
White spot on gum above tooth hurts or painful
Is the inside of mouth peeling and hurts? Sometimes mouth sores can be annoying and painful. If your mouth hurts a lot and the peeing does not go away after a week or so, you need to see your dentist for diagnosis and early treatment.
The most common cause of inside of mouth peeling and hurting is psoriasis. It often affects the torso and extremities, and it is most likely to cause lesions on the mucus membrane, including the tongue, lips, and most commonly inside the mouth. According to the Journal of Dermatological case Reports, in rare cases, the lesions may appear as red spots and flaky regions on the lips before it appears elsewhere on the body.
Please notify your dentist of the following symptoms lumps in mouth lining, peeling gums, ulcers and white sores in mouth.
White spot on gums won’t go away
Have you had white spots for more than a week and they fail to go away even after using medicine and home remedies. You will need specialized medication. In most cases the cause of this has been found to be oral psoriasis.
In most case though, psoriasis in the mouth is uncommon. If you have psoriasis and experience lesions in your mouth, you need to speak with your dentist to be sure that the symptoms are related to the psoriasis and not any other infection. The other symptoms to cheek for before you see your doctor will include the following:
- White sores inside mouth that fail to go away.
- Lumps or small pimples in mouth lining
- At times your lips my dry and crack
- Peeling gums
- Ulcers
White spots on gum under tooth no pain
I have had these white spots on gums for a week now and they do not see to go away, my tooth are okay and I do not feel any pain. Could these be a sign of skin cancer? Depending with what is causing the white spots on the gum, the symptoms may vary from cause to cause.
It is very possible for the spot caused by allergic reaction f toothpaste not to pain, on the other hand if the spots are as a result of oral psoriasis, STD, or oral leukoplakia then the tooth maybe accompanied with pain.
Small white spot on gum below teeth
What could be the cause of these small bumps on my gums below teeth? While it is common to for people to have the spots on gums, it is painful and very irritating when you have them for long. The spots are in most cases harmless and may go away on their own.
The main cause are psoriasis, oral psoriasis or oral leukoplakia and at times it may be due to gum cancer. When you notice small spots on the gums, and they do not go away after a week please visit your health care provide for diagnosis and treatment. Treating the underlying cause of the spots is the best way of getting rid of the spots and avoid them recurring in the future.
White spot on gums treatment
What do I need to do to get rid of these white spots on my gums? White patches on the gums are in most case usually harmless and tend to go away after some days or a week. When this fails to happen please contact your dentist. Avoiding alcohol and tobacco products is key in treating and getting rid of the white patches on your gums.
Most of the cause of white spots on teeth, for example oral leukoplakia are not known. Dentist believe that this could be a cause of oral irritation. The national dental organization warns that white spots on gums could be a possible symptom of gum cancer. They recommend you see a health care provider as soon as possible. A biopsy will be performed once the spots fail to go away after a week and the appropriate treatment may be carried out.
Treating the underlying cause of white spots on gum is the best and more effective way of getting of the white patches on your gums. Please refer above to the individual causes, for specific cause for the symptoms and treatment.
How to get rid of white spot on gum-Home remedies
White spots on gums is can be irritating painful and at times swelling of the gums. The swelling might also result in your teeth getting sensitive, making it hard to either take cold food and drinks or hot drinks. Worst case scenario could be the weakening of the dental formula.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is rich in anti-inflammatories, antimicrobial and generally healthy when eaten. It is the best remedy for getting rid of canker sore causing white bumps on tongue. All you need to prepare this remedy is a fresh coconut fruit.
To make the remedy, do the following:
- Dab a moderate amount of coconut oil using a swab onto the sores.
- An alternative is, you can put a considerate amount of coconut oil in your mouth and leave it for 10 minutes before throwing it out
- Repeat this twice daily till the peeling and the white bumps on tongue disappear.
Aloe rinse
Aloe Vera is consider among the best, if not the best soothing plants of all. The gel wields a lot of anti-inflammatory, anti-itching, antibacterial properties that are very important in the healing process of white bumps on tongue and peeling inside mouth.
Star the aloe Vera gel in a half full cup of water and gently stir to mix. Swish the mixture over the sores three time in a day to ease the pain and facilitate healing of the sores.
Wax cap
For sore that keep rubbing against you teeth or are irritated by the dentures, putting a little wax “capping” over the surface of the sores can really reduce the irritating friction. You need to make the max thicker enough so that it does not just get around the brace and stuck
Do the following;
- Melt down a beeswax and coconut oil and allow them to mix
- Allow the mixture to cool
- Gently press dollop over the edge of the teeth to prevent the sores from rubbing
Honey rub
Honey has antibacterial properties and potential anti-inflammatory qualities to. Raw organic honey thus makes an excellent soothing coating for sore throats and canker sores in your mouth. If honey is placed on the white bumps on tongue it could help relieve the pain and speed in the healing process all together.
All you need to do is, swish some warm water in your mouth, then apply a thick layer of raw organic honey, you can do this with your fingers or a spoon. Let the coating last for around 10 minutes, before rinsing it out. Do this twice in a day and the result will be optimal.
Chamomile tea bag
Chamomile consist of several daisy-like plants commonly used to induce sleep, promote relaxation and help with digestion. A chemical compound- bisabolol is found naturally in German chamomile has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It is this properties that will help reduce the pain caused by sore throats and also help speed the healing process of the white bumps on tongue.
What you need to prepare this remedy:
- a tea bag of chamomile or a tea spoon of dried flowers wrapped in a clean cloth
- Fresh drinking water.
- Soak the tea bag in water for 3 minute
- After soaking place it directly against the sores for 5 minutes
- Repeat this twice daily for optimal results
Sources and references:
- http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tongue-pain/Pages/Introduction.aspx
- http://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/tongue-bumps
- http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer-of-the-mouth/pages/introduction.aspx
- http://everydayroots.com/canker-sore-remedies