If you have a small tender bump on your gums that oozes white fluid, see a dentist soon. The bump on your gums may be a boil. Boils can be painful and potentially dangerous if you don't treat them right away. Learn more about gum boils and how a dentist can get rid of them below.

What Are Gum Boils? 

Boils usually develop on the outside of your body, such as in your armpit or on your inner thigh. However, some types of boils can develop inside your body, including your mouth. Dentists refer to boils that develop inside your gum tissue as gum boils. 

Gum boils, or gum abscesses, can form anywhere on the surface of your gums, including near or below the gum line. The boils generally contain a whitish-gray substance known as pus. Pus is often a sign of an ongoing infection or the start of an infection. 

A number of things cause gum boils to appear in your mouth, including excess bacteria in your mouth and mouth trauma. Plaque buildup, or tartar, may also cause infectious bumps to develop on your gums. 

Gum boils can burst, or come to a head, on their own. However, some boils can be extremely tender and require a dentist's care to treat. 

How Do You Treat Gum Boils?

A dentist needs to examine the boil on your gums carefully before they treat it. The origin of the boil can determine how a dentist treats it. For example, if gum disease caused your boil, a dentist may need to provide periodontal care to you. Periodontal care refers to the treatment of the tissues surrounding your teeth, such as your gums and jawbone. 

If a bacterial infection inside your tooth caused the boil in your mouth, a dentist may need to clean out the tooth to get rid of the infection. They can use treatments, such as root canal therapy, to repair the damage inside your tooth. The boil on your gums should go away after the treatment. 

If multiple things caused your gum boil, a dentist will most likely develop a care plan for you. A care plan contains various things that improve the condition of your oral health, such as antibiotic treatment and deep tooth cleanings. A provider will discuss your care plan and what you may expect from it after they examine your mouth.

Learn more about gum boils and how to treat them by consulting a dentist today.