Eruption Cyst: Photos of a Purple Bump on the Gums

A little over a year ago, I wrote an article discussing eruption cysts. Those are the bluish-purple bumps that can form on the gums right before a tooth pushes its way into the mouth.

Upon first glance, many parents are understandably concerned that their child has a serious problem in their mouth. The photo I used in the original article isn’t very clear, and I thought it would be good to post a couple more photos that were recently shared with me.

Photos of Eruption Cysts

The photo below shows two eruption cysts over the permanent upper front teeth. The teeth are still white, the purple color is due to bruising that has occurred between the gums and the permanent tooth. Usually, no treatment is necessary and the teeth will come through within a couple of weeks.

The next photo shows an eruption cyst where the upper left six-year molar is preparing to come into the mouth. Many parents may not even notice eruption cysts when they occur this far back in the mouth.

Fact: Since many eruption cysts occur on the back teeth and only last a few weeks, they often go undetected. Because of this, nobody really knows how common eruption cysts really are. Most estimates say that they occur in under 1% of all children.

To Treat or Not to Treat

Normally, eruption cysts don’t need any treatment. The tooth will usually poke through the eruption cyst and come into the mouth on its own within a couple of weeks. If the eruption cyst is causing lots of pain, or if it is causing concerns due to its appearance (as in the first photo), it can be cut open to expose the tooth.

You can click the following link to check out a picture of a tooth after its eruption cyst has been opened.