2025 Guide: Eruption Cyst in Babies – Symptoms, Causes, and Effective Treatments

Teething can be a challenging phase for both babies and parents, though some infants breeze through it with minimal fuss. Regardless, you’ll likely notice familiar signs indicating your baby’s first tooth is on its way.

Common teething symptoms include:

• Increased fussiness and clinginess
• Excessive drooling
• Chewing on objects within reach
• Frequent ear rubbing

Occasionally, babies develop less common symptoms such as eruption cysts—small, fluid-filled bubbles or bumps on the gums. Though they may appear unusual or concerning, eruption cysts are generally harmless and resolve naturally.

While eruption cysts are more frequently seen in older children as their permanent teeth emerge, infants can experience them too. Here’s a comprehensive overview of eruption cysts during your baby’s teething journey.

Understanding Eruption Cysts

Also known as congenital eruption cysts or eruption hematomas (when blood mixes with the fluid), eruption cysts form when a new tooth pushes through the gums. This process may cause a small, fluid-filled sac or bubble to develop either on or just beneath the gum surface over the emerging tooth.

The underlying tooth will eventually break through the cyst, which typically disappears without treatment.

Recognizing Symptoms of an Eruption Cyst

Although eruption cysts can make gums tender, they usually do not cause significant pain.

Signs to watch for include a small, dome-shaped bubble on the gums that may appear bluish, yellowish, white, or transparent. This soft, balloon-like bump is located directly above the erupting tooth and may be accompanied by mild gum swelling, redness, or irritation.

Most eruption cysts are under half an inch in size, and your baby might have one or multiple cysts simultaneously.

Sometimes the cyst fluid contains blood, giving it a pink, red, or purple hue. This is not an indication of worsening condition.

Causes Behind Eruption Cysts

Eruption cysts develop when fluid accumulates around a tooth preparing to emerge through the gums, often during the teething phase before the tooth becomes visible.

While the exact causes are not fully understood, factors such as gum inflammation, minor trauma, irritation, or infection can contribute. Overcrowding of teeth, especially when two teeth grow close together, may also increase the risk, although this is more typical in older children.

Accidental gum injury, such as from biting on a teething toy, can trigger cyst formation. Additionally, dental decay in babies and toddlers might lead to eruption cysts.

Prevalence of Eruption Cysts

Eruption cysts are uncommon in infants but occur more frequently in children aged 6 to 9 years as their adult molars erupt.

Do Eruption Cysts Require Treatment?

Most eruption cysts resolve naturally once the tooth breaks through the gum line, requiring no medical intervention.

If a tooth is slow to emerge or becomes impacted, the cyst may persist longer. In such cases, pediatricians or pediatric dentists monitor the situation, often using X-rays that reveal fluid-filled dark areas around the developing tooth.

Rarely, treatment may be necessary to remove fibrous tissue blocking tooth eruption or to perform a minor surgical procedure called “unroofing” to open the cyst and facilitate tooth growth. Surgical intervention in babies is uncommon.

Duration of Eruption Cysts

Typically, eruption cysts disappear within days to weeks as the tooth erupts. However, if tooth eruption is delayed, cysts can last up to four months.

When to Consult a Dentist

Contact your pediatrician or pediatric dentist if an eruption cyst persists beyond a few weeks or if you observe bleeding, white pus, or other unusual signs on your baby’s gums.

Maintaining dental health from infancy is crucial. Schedule your baby’s first dental checkup before age two. Prior to tooth eruption, clean gums gently with a soft, sterile cloth. Once teeth appear, use a baby-friendly soft-bristle toothbrush.

Summary

Eruption cysts are benign, fluid-filled gum bubbles that occasionally appear during teething. Though rare in infants, they are more common in young children developing permanent teeth.

These cysts usually resolve without treatment, but persistent, bleeding, or infected cysts warrant professional evaluation.

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