What are these lumps in my teething baby’s mouth?
“WHAT IS THIS?!” It can be really frightening to see a big purple lump on your baby’s gums! Thankfully, this is a common occurrence when a tooth is coming in. These bumps are called eruption cysts, or eruption hematomas.
What are they?
- A tooth develops under the jaw in a protective enclosure. When the tooth begins to poke through, sometimes the fluid from the enclosure forms a cyst around the new tooth.
- These are roundish, blue-purple, red, or clear and swollen and raised around the site of the new tooth.
Should I be worried? - Nope! Even though these lesions look alarming, they are natural and normal and will resolve on their own when the tooth comes through.
- Do not try to pop these cysts as that can be painful and can introduce infection.
When to make an appointment.
- If the lesion persists after the tooth comes out, make an appointment to rule out any other oral conditions.
- Get it checked if you see a yellow crust forming or severe swelling as that could be a sign of infection.
- If the lesion is so large it interferes with eating, see us or your pediatrician.
- We are here for you if you have any concerns at all! We would love to meet your baby and take a peek! (We REALLY love babies!)
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