An eruption cyst is a small, bluish bubble that can form on the gum right over an arriving tooth.

In kid words

A small, bluish bubble on your gum right before a tooth comes in is called an eruption cyst, and it happens because the new tooth is almost through. It usually goes away by itself once that tooth finishes arriving, and it's a good one to point out and show a grown-up, just so everyone knows what it is.

The parent version

Eruption cyst describes a small, fluid-filled bubble that can form on the gum directly over a tooth getting ready to push through. It often looks bluish, purplish or dark red, simply from a bit of blood mixed into the fluid inside, which can look more dramatic than it actually is. Mainstream dental sources describe it as a common part of a tooth's arrival, and it typically resolves on its own once the tooth finishes erupting through it.

It rarely needs anything beyond watching. Still, showing it to your pediatric dentist is a good idea, simply so it is seen and on record.

Where you might hear it at our office

An eruption cyst can appear whenever a tooth is getting ready to arrive, sometimes as early as a first tooth in infancy, which is part of why it is a natural question for our infant dental care, alongside teething guidance and other early questions. If you notice one on your child's gum, it is a perfectly reasonable thing to mention at a visit, even though it is rarely more than something to watch.

If another word from a visit is still a mystery, the rest of the dictionary is right here.

Related words

Related words: eruption, teething, gum line.