On Sunday I noticed that my gums were feeling kind of "mushy" for lack of better term. By Sunday night to the left of my front tooth my gums were extremely red, and there was a visible bump. Monday morning the "bump" was big enough that I can feel it past the base of my nose and as wide as the middle of my two nostrils and out the same distance the other way. I called my dentist and told them the problem and they got me in last night. Mind you the pain I had did not feel like a tooth ache at all, more like my gums were going to burst from the pressure, sort of like a blister. They did x-rays, and I sat in the chair. The dentist came in minutes later and said I have an abcess... he poked around with his mirror and hook, and then popped a hole in it to allow it to drain. HOLY HURT!! Anyway he said it hurt now but would feel much better after. Told me to take some antibiotics and schedule my cleaning. I went out to make the appt. and I asked the receptionist/hygenist which tooth it actually was that was abcessed. She said my x-rays just got done and he was checking them now to be sure it was that tooth in the front. Minutes later she came out and told me that it wasn't an abcess, but looked more like a cyst. I am to continue the antibiotics and come back next Wednesday. I had a root canal 6 yrs. Ago that he is going to pull out and redo, and see if that is the problem. If not, and if my cyst is still there he will send me to a specialist. OMG.. so any idea what the cyst could be?? Is it bad that he popped it being that it is a cyst rather than an abcess?? Any info would be appreciated. I am going crazy with the whatifs... Thanks.

I've actually had a cyst in my gums before, have one now again, like a year later, the first time it was there for about a week or two I believe, I did try to poke it and drain it myself but I'm not a big fan of pain. But eventually I just woke up one morning and it was popped. There was some loose gum skin that eventually wore off and I spit out. I don't believe it's a big deal, just something that happens from time to time

I fluid filled "cyst" or boil on the gum is a sign of infection. When the cyst pops there is no longer pressure building in the tooth and you avoid the severe toothache and swelling that would accompany the cyst. You should definitely have the area x-rayed. The cyst could be an abscess that encompasses one tooth or it could now be large enough to affect other teeth in the area as well. If you allow that poison to build up in your body it can cause some real serious health issues, including blindness and death.