The presence of lump on your gum is irritating and painful. The gum is a delicate place in mouth which easily get infected when exposed to infection. Why is there a hard lump on the gum ? Do you know why ? This article will discuss everything about hard lump on gum above tooth. 

What is lump on gum ?

Lump on gum is very common thing when there are buildups of plaque and bacteria along the gumline.  They appear as swollen bumps on the gum.

The hard  lumps can grow along your upper or lower  jaw on the  gums by your teeth or on the top of your mouth on a ‘normal’ bone growth called a Tori or dental tori.  

When a tori occurs on the palate of the upper jaw, it is known as a torus palatinus and they are sometimes near the midline of the palate.  

Tori can also occur on the cheek side (buccal side) of upper and lower teeth as well and they are usually seen by the molars and premolars.

What causes hard lump on gum?

There are all sorts of reasons why hard lump on gum can occur. Some of the causes are: 

Canker sore 

This is developed when you have are small, round, painful bumps that are in  areas like gums, tongue, soft palate, inner cheeks and lips. According to research , the causes of canker sore is not yet known but some believe they develop when the immune system mistakenly attacks the mucosal cells that line the mouth.

Symptoms of canker sores include:

• It can be whitish or yellow spots with a red border
• It may be flat or slightly raised bumps
• One can have severe tenderness
• It’s painful while eating and drinking

Mostly, canker sores heal on their own within a week or two. Again Over-the-counter analgesics can be applied to minimize pain in the meantime.

Oral thrush 

It’s a yeast infection that affects the mouth. It occurs due to an overgrowth of a type of yeast called Candida.

Symptoms of oral thrush 

• People with oral thrush may have these symptoms 
• white bumps or patches on the gums
• inner cheeks
• tongue, or roof of the mouth.
• mouth redness or soreness
• a cotton-like feeling in the mouth
• redness and cracking at the corners of the mouth
• loss of taste
• pain when eating or swallowing

Oral thrush can be treated with the application of an antifungal medication, such as clotrimazole, miconazole, or nystatin.

Cyst

Dental cyst is also a possible cause of a lump on the gums. This happens when a cyst develop. A cyst is a small bubble that is filled with liquid, soft materials, or even air. Cysts usually form around the roots of dead teeth or in areas where teeth have not developed properly. Though they’re not harmful, it can overgrow and can put pressure on your teeth and lead to weakness in the jaw over time

Other causes are :

• Oral cancer
• Abscess 
• oral fibroma 
• Bacterial Infection
• Congenital Gingival Epulis
• Excessively Hard Toothbrushing
• Gingival Granular Cell Tumor
• Medications
• Odontogenic Keratocyst
• Poorly Fitting Denture 
• Poor Oral Hygiene

When to see a health provider 

Though hard lump on gum above tooth aren’t serious, it’s sometimes necessary to see a doctor when , you notice any of the following symptoms in addition to a bump:

• Severe fever
• foul taste in your mouth 
• foul-smelling breath
• a sore that’s getting worse or not healing 
• More than a week lump that doesn’t go away
• red or white patches inside your mouth or on your lips

Prevention of hard lump on gum can be done through good oral hygiene practices which can help you. If you find a hard lump on your gum visit a dentist as soon as possible