Hard and White Bump on My Gum, What Can It Be?

There are generally three common causes of this occurrence. These are: an infection, an injury, or canker sores.

• A bacterial infection or abscess can cause the development of hard or soft white bumps on an individual's gums.

• Trauma of injury to the gums can also cause the occurrence of white bumps. These are a reaction to the injury and will usually dissipate as the injury heals.

• Canker sores are defined as small, white bumps on the gums, mouths or lips, which are accompanied with pain. These can be caused by various things including stress, a deficiency of vitamins, hormones, and auto-immune disease. These usually heal without treatment, though medical help should be sought if they last longer than three weeks, are accompanied with a fever, or impair one’s ability to swallow.

A hard white bump on gum may also be caused by gingivitis. This is characterized by inflammation of the gums and is the onset of gum disease, evident with bleeding gums and white bumps. Thankfully, this is easily treated, though you should seek the help of a dentist immediately before the issue exacerbates. Other symptoms of gingivitis include: difficulty chewing, loose teeth, red and tender gums, swollen gums, and puss secreting from the gums.

A hard white bump on the gums may also be a cyst. This is essentially a sac of tissue filled with either soft material or fluid. Cysts are usually quite painful and may also be accompanied with swelling of the gum (or even swelling if the face/cheek), and possibly the instance of an unpleasant taste within one’s mouth.

Another cause of a hard white bump within one’s mouth is what is known as torus, which is a flat bone that can push out through the gums and appear as a hard white bump.

In less common cases, the occurrence of hard white bump on gum can be an indication of a serious disease, like oral cancers. In the early stages of mouth cancers, there is often little pain though abnormal cell growth results in the formation of white patch-like growths on the gums. Other symptoms include: red lumps or spots in the mouth, pain when swallowing, numbness/tingling in the mouth, unusual oral bleeding, difficulty swallowing, and the feeling that you have something stuck within your throat.

Due to the seriousness of such an occurrence, and the importance of early diagnosis, it is important to always see a dentist if you notice the formation of a hard white bump. Even though it is likely nothing to worry about, it is always best to ascertain this by a healthcare professional so you know for sure that you have no reason to worry.

Whilst many of these occurrences cause no pain, it is still important to have them checked by a dentist. They will be able to state whether it can be resolved and advise you in the best action to take to do so. In some instances, they may state that there is nothing that they can do and as long as the white bump doesn't increase in size or become painful then it is better left alone. In many cases they will offer treatment methods to resolve the issue causing the hard white bump. Such treatment methods will be determined once the cause has been correctly ascertained.

Many people experience the occurrence of a hard white bump on gum, and on most occasions the cause is something simple and easily resolvable. Whilst it may seam easy to just forget about it if there is no pain or if it is not bothering you, the best course of action, as mentioned, is to visit a dentist. So book your appointment today and take the right steps to eradicate that hard white lump on gum and get back on the path to perfect oral health. Going forward, one should aim to practice proper oral hygiene to ensure that their teeth and gums remain in pristine condition.