Swollen gums: gingivitis, abscess, home care and when to see a dentist

Healthy gums are pink and firm, and don't bleed when you brush. Swollen gums (pamamaga ng gilagid) look puffy, shiny and bright red or reddish-purple, often first in the small triangles of gum between the teeth. They may bleed when you brush or bite something hard, feel tender, or come with bad breath. Many people feel no pain at all.

Swelling around many teeth is usually gum disease. Swelling in one spot with throbbing pain or a pimple-like bump can be an abscess. See Gingivitis or abscess?

The usual cause is plaque, a sticky film of germs and food that forms on the teeth every day. If it isn't brushed away, it hardens into tartar, which only a dentist or dental hygienist can remove. Both irritate the gums.

Other things that cause swelling or make it worse:

• smoking or chewing tobacco, including nganga (betel quid) chewed with tobacco: tobacco is the biggest risk for gum disease
• diabetes that is not well controlled
• pregnancy, puberty and other hormone changes
• food stuck under the gum, or braces, dentures and rough fillings that rub
• a reaction to a toothpaste or mouthwash
• some medicines, such as phenytoin (for seizures) and some birth control pills. Don't stop a medicine on your own: ask your doctor.
• an infection with a virus or fungus, poor nutrition, stress, or a weak immune system

Rarely, swollen gums point to a body-wide problem, such as a severe lack of vitamin C or a blood disease like leukemia.

Only a dentist can tell for sure, but these are the usual patterns:

• Gingivitis is early gum disease: red, puffy gums that bleed easily, often painless. Good daily cleaning plus a dental cleaning can reverse it.
• Periodontitis is gingivitis left too long. Gums pull away from the teeth, and the bone holding them breaks down. Teeth can loosen and fall out. It is the main cause of tooth loss in adults.
• A gum abscess is a pocket of pus: throbbing pain in one area, a swollen bump, a bad taste, and sometimes a swollen face, fever or swollen neck glands. It won't heal on its own.
• Trench mouth is rare. It starts suddenly, with very painful, bleeding gums, crater-like sores between the teeth, a grey film and bad breath.

An abscess can spread to the jaw, face and neck, and an infection under the tongue (Ludwig angina) can block breathing. Swelling near the eye or down the neck, or trouble breathing or swallowing, is an emergency: go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.

For gums swollen by plaque, the best "gamot sa pamamaga ng gilagid" is removing the plaque, together with a cleaning by a dentist.

• Keep brushing gently with a soft toothbrush, even where it is sore, and clean between your teeth every day (see how to brush and floss).
• Rinse with warm salt water: dissolve about half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, swish and spit it out. It can ease swelling. Children should not do this, in case they swallow it.
• Avoid irritants: tobacco, alcohol, any mouthwash that stings, and food that gets stuck under the gum, like chips and popcorn.
• Switch toothpaste if your gums got sore after a change of brand.

Bleeding and tenderness usually ease within 1 to 2 weeks of good care after a cleaning. See a dentist if your gums are still swollen after 2 weeks, or sooner if one spot is painful and getting bigger. Unsure? Ask our free AI symptom guide.

1. Brush twice a day, morning and bedtime, with a fluoride toothpaste. Point the soft bristles at the gum line and use small, gentle circles.
2. Spit out the toothpaste without rinsing, so the fluoride stays on your teeth. Use mouthwash at a different time.
3. Clean between your teeth once a day. Curve the floss around each tooth, just under the gum. Interdental brushes, picks or a water flosser also work.
4. Change your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months.

Some bleeding at first is common and usually lessens as the swelling goes down.

Ask the pharmacist which product suits you, follow the label, and tell them what else you take.

• Chlorhexidine mouthwash lowers the number of germs in the mouth and is used for gingivitis, usually for a short time when a dentist or pharmacist advises it. Spit it out; don't swallow it. It can stain teeth, change how food tastes and add to tartar, so keep brushing and get cleanings.
• Paracetamol or ibuprofen can ease soreness. Ask the pharmacist before taking ibuprofen if you have ever had a stomach ulcer or bleeding, have kidney disease or asthma, or take blood thinners.
• Don't hold aspirin or a crushed tablet against the gum, or rub alcohol on it. It can irritate or burn the gum; pain relievers are meant to be swallowed. Aspirin should not be given to anyone under 16.
• Antibiotics need a prescription. A dentist or doctor may give one for an abscess, trench mouth or fever, but antibiotics don't remove tartar or drain pus. Never use leftover or borrowed ones.

For a child, or in pregnancy or breastfeeding, ask a doctor or dentist before using any medicine or medicated mouthwash.

• Bayabas (guava) leaves. In a small 2019 trial of 60 adults in India, a laboratory-made guava-leaf mouthwash, used for a month after a professional cleaning, reduced gum inflammation more than plain water and about as much as chlorhexidine. Home-boiled leaves were not tested. A bayabas rinse is at most an extra: it doesn't remove tartar or treat an abscess.
• Oil pulling (swishing coconut or sesame oil). A 2024 review of 25 trials found it may help gum health a little, but the certainty of the evidence was very low, and chlorhexidine removed more plaque. It doesn't replace brushing. Spit the oil out.
• Tawas (alum). We found no good studies showing that it helps swollen gums. Salt water is the rinse health services advise.
• Kalamansi, vinegar, garlic or salt rubbed on the gum can irritate or burn it. Rinse instead of rubbing.
• Pricking a gum bump with a needle can spread the infection. A dentist drains abscesses safely.
• "Vitamin C will cure it." A severe lack of vitamin C (scurvy) is a rare cause. Most swelling comes from plaque, and vitamins don't remove it.

In pregnancy, hormones make gums more sensitive, so swollen or bleeding gums are common. Keep cleaning well and see a dentist; tell them you are pregnant. Ask your doctor or midwife before any medicine, and mention your gums at your prenatal check-ups.

In children, sore, swollen gums with fever and mouth sores are often caused by a virus. Children may refuse to eat or drink. Offer cool water or milk often, and soft, bland food. See a doctor today if your child is drinking or peeing much less than usual. See also our singaw guide. Ask a doctor before giving a child any medicine.

The dentist checks your gums with a thin probe that measures the pockets around each tooth, may take an x-ray, and asks about your health and medicines. If something else might be causing the swelling, you may be sent for a blood test. Treatment can include a cleaning (oral prophylaxis) to remove plaque and tartar, a deep cleaning under the gums for periodontitis, or draining an abscess, sometimes followed by a root canal or removing the tooth (bunot). Many dentists advise a check-up and cleaning about every 6 months; people with periodontitis may need cleanings more often.

The Philippines had only about 2.6 dentists for every 10,000 people in 2020 (WHO), so don't wait until the pain is bad.

• Barangay health station, rural health unit (RHU) or city health center. Ask which days a dentist is there. WHO reported in 2021 that urgent dental care and pain relief were generally available in public primary care. Find one near you or find a dentist.
• PhilHealth dental benefit. Under Circular 2024-0034, every Filipino can get a mouth check, teeth cleaning and fluoride varnish, plus an emergency tooth extraction for severe pain. PhilHealth's December 2025 claim codes cover a first and a second visit.
• How to use it. Register with a PhilHealth YAKAP clinic (YAKAP is the expanded Konsulta); it assigns the dental clinic you go to. A public dental clinic charges nothing extra. A private one may charge you up to ₱1,500 a visit, or ₱600 for an emergency extraction. These were the latest rules we found in November 2026.
• YAKAP also gives free check-ups and some free medicines. See our PhilHealth YAKAP guide and what PhilHealth covers.
• Deep cleaning and gum surgery are not on the dental benefit's list: ask the price first.
• Emergencies go to a hospital emergency room. For help with bills, see our Malasakit Center guide.

You can also book a call with a nurse, or read our toothache guide.

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and clean between your teeth daily.
• Stop smoking and chewing nganga. About 4 in 10 Filipino men used tobacco in 2019 (WHO estimate), and tobacco is the strongest risk for gum disease.
• Keep diabetes under control (see our diabetes symptoms guide).
• Cut down on sugar, and drink water instead of soft drinks.
• Get regular check-ups and cleanings, even when nothing hurts.

More guides are on our everyday health page.