Dentist Questions Dentist

Covid vaccine gum swelling?

I have excellent dental hygiene, however, 5 days after my booster I am on day 2 of whole mouth gum swelling and some teeth are a little sore. I'm feeling fine otherwise. Can the vaccine cause gum swelling?

Female | 47 years old

3 Answers

Please, contact your healthcare provider immediately if after vaccination you present with itching, increase heart rate, rash, trouble swallowing, trouble breathing, hand face or mouth swelling after receiving the vaccine. Thank you
That is certainly possible. It could be a whole body immune response. You may have heard of pregnancy gingivitis. That is caused by the pregnancy hormones making the gums more susceptible to minor plaque and irritation. It is also an overdone immune response. So that may well be related to the vaccine- not that you could be pregnant, but that the overreaction to the vaccine is similar to what happens in some pregnancies.

Dr. Conrad
I had not heard of gum swelling from the vaccine. Keep flossing. Try warm salt rinses (1/2 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Swish & spit). Call your dentist if it doesn't get better soon.