Gum Disease In Broomfield, CO

If your child's gums are red, puffy or bleeding, the odds favor gingivitis. It's the most common form of gum disease in Broomfield, CO and everywhere else, and it reverses once the plaque at the gumline is under control.

Not every red gum is gingivitis, though. 7 other conditions can pass for gum disease, and 4 of them start with your pediatrician instead of a dentist. The list below sorts them in about a minute.

Mini Miners is a pediatric dental office in Erie Commons, at the corner of Briggs St and Erie Pkwy, between I-25 and Highway 287.

What Gum Disease Looks Like in a Child

Gum disease in a child usually means gingivitis. Plaque sits at the gumline, and the gum edge turns red, swells and bleeds when it's brushed. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry reports gingivitis in about 50% of children by age 4 or 5, and in nearly all of them at puberty.

Periodontitis is the other form. It destroys the bone that holds teeth in place, and it's uncommon in children. Lost bone doesn't grow back on its own, and surgery can rebuild only some of it. Gingivitis reverses. Periodontitis can be stopped.

Book a visit if you see

Gums that bleed when your child brushes or flosses
A red, puffy gum edge where it should be pink and firm
Bad breath that brushing doesn't fix

Call this week if you see, with no injury involved

Gum pulling back from a tooth
A permanent tooth that has started to move
A bite that feels different

Call today if you see

Pus where the gum meets the tooth
A pimple-like bump on the gum beside a tooth

Call now if you see

Swelling in the lip, cheek, gums or face, especially with a fever
Swollen gums with a fever (if there are mouth ulcers too, call your pediatrician)
A tooth pushed into the gum or shifted out of position after a fall or a knock

Go to the emergency room if swelling spreads toward the eye or neck, or makes breathing, swallowing or opening the mouth hard. Children's Hospital Colorado's North Campus in Broomfield runs 24/7 pediatric emergency care.

Is It Gum Disease, or Something That Looks Like It?

Start with what you're looking at. We call this the Look-Alike List, and it's what we'd hand every parent before they search for gum disease in Broomfield, CO at bedtime.

Red, puffy gums that bleed when brushed

This is gingivitis: plaque irritating the gumline. It shows up at any age and peaks at puberty. Brush into the gumline and floss for 2 weeks. If the bleeding is still there after that, book a visit.

A fever first, then painful ulcers on swollen gums

In a child between 6 months and 5 years, this points to primary herpetic gingivostomatitis, a first herpes simplex infection. The ulcers bleed easily and usually heal in 2 to 3 weeks. Call your pediatrician the same day and keep fluids going. If your child won't drink, it's urgent.

A pimple or boil on the gum beside a decayed or injured tooth

That's usually a sinus tract, which is infection draining from inside the tooth. The gum heals only after the tooth is treated or removed. Call us today. If the face swells or a fever starts, call now.

A painless blue or black blister over a tooth that's coming in

This is an eruption cyst, called an eruption hematoma when it holds blood. It's most common between ages 6 and 9, as incisors and molars come in, and most resolve once the tooth breaks through. Call if it hurts, bleeds, looks infected or the tooth stalls. More on tooth eruption.

White or yellow patches on the gums, tongue or cheeks

This is thrush, a yeast infection that's common in infants and toddlers. A pediatrician treats it with antifungal medicine, and it usually improves within about 2 weeks. Call this week. In an older child, thrush can point to an immune problem, so mention it.

Swollen, bleeding gums in a child who eats almost no fruit or vegetables

This is rare, but it can be vitamin C deficiency (scurvy). It has been reported in children with restrictive diets, including some autistic children, and it often comes with a limp or bruising. Tell your pediatrician exactly what your child eats, this week, or today if your child is limping or bruising.

Gum tissue thickening and creeping over the teeth

Certain medications cause gum overgrowth: the seizure medicines phenytoin and valproate, the calcium channel blockers verapamil and diltiazem, and cyclosporine. Keep giving the medicine, and bring its name to the visit.

Bleeding gums plus bruising, tiny red or purple dots, nosebleeds, tiredness or fever

This is rare, but it can be a blood or bleeding disorder, such as low platelets (ITP) or leukemia. ITP is most common between ages 2 and 6. Leukemia is rarely the cause of these signs, but they need a doctor's check. Call your pediatrician today.

Four of these 8 start with your pediatrician. We'd rather tell you that on the phone than book a visit that can't help.

Canker sores and cold sores show up on gums too, and we treat both.

Kids Who Need More Than a Cleaning

Some children start with a higher risk of real periodontal disease. They need a tighter checkup schedule and a dentist who asks about it at intake.

The AAPD's 2024 guidance names 17 systemic conditions linked to periodontitis in children, including Down syndrome (trisomy 21), diabetes, neutropenia, leukocyte adhesion deficiency and Papillon-Lefevre syndrome. If your child has one of them, tell us when you book.

Braces raise the stakes too, because brackets trap plaque at the gumline. Mini Miners offers orthodontics, including Invisalign.

For children with special needs, gum care can stall for one reason: the child won't tolerate the cleaning. We plan around that with happy visits first, private treatment rooms instead of an open bay, and appointments at quieter times of day. More on dental care for kids with special needs.

How We Check and Treat Gum Disease in Broomfield, CO Kids

A gum check is a measurement, and it happens at every cleaning. Dr. Grover checks your child's gums for early signs of gingivitis or inflammation, and digital x-rays are taken when the exam calls for them.

What the AAPD recommends

The AAPD recommends a simplified basic periodontal exam for kids aged 7 to 17, once the first permanent molars and incisors are in and only if a child tolerates it.

X-rays when the exam calls for them

Bone loss can't be seen by looking at gums. It shows up on x-rays, usually bitewings for the back teeth. Ours are low-radiation digital x-rays, taken right in the treatment room with a camera-like machine.

A cleaning that targets the gumline

Plaque and hardened tartar come off above and slightly below the gumline. Our hygienist uses kid-sized instruments and flavored polishing paste, and your child watches a movie of their choice on the ceiling-mounted TV the whole time. Book it as a cleaning and exam.

The visit ends with fluoride in a flavor your child picks, flavorless included. Your child can eat and drink right away, then waits until the next morning to brush.

When it isn't gingivitis

Gums that haven't settled after the cleaning and 2 weeks of better brushing send us back to the Look-Alike List. If the x-rays show bone loss, your child needs a periodontist, and we'll refer you.

If Your Child Won't Open Up

Gums can't be cleaned through a closed mouth, so most of our office is set up to get a yes.

Your child picks the toothpaste flavor, the fluoride flavor and 1 of 70 movies. Parents are always welcome in the treatment room. Happy visits come first if your child needs one: explore the office and meet the team, with no treatment.

Every room is plumbed for nitrous oxide, and nitrous is available during cleanings. For children who need more, we offer moderate oral sedation and deep sedation (general anesthesia), given by an anesthesiologist in our office.

Home Care That Stops the Bleeding

More dental visits haven't changed how Coloradans rate their mouths. The share who saw a dentist rose from 66.4% in 2009 to 72.5% in 2025, while the share rating their oral health good or better has held at about 83.3% since 2013 (Colorado Health Institute, 2026). The visit finds gingivitis. The bathroom sink clears it.

What changes with age:

Under 3: a rice-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste. From 3: a pea-sized amount.
Until about 8: you brush, or your child goes first and you finish. Most kids don't have the coordination to brush well on their own before then.
8 and up: they brush and you check. A plaque-disclosing tablet stains whatever they missed.
In braces: add a small interdental brush around each bracket.

At every age, use soft bristles tilted 45 degrees into the gumline, where the plaque sits.

Floss wherever 2 teeth touch, usually starting around age 2 or 3. Don't skip the spot that bleeds. Bleeding usually means plaque is still there, and avoiding the spot gives it more time. If the bleeding hasn't improved after 2 weeks of this, book a gum check. The rest of the routine is on our children's preventive care page.

About Dr. Alison Grover

Dr. Alison Grover is the board-certified pediatric dentist who founded Mini Miners. She earned her DDS and a general practice residency certificate at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine in Aurora, then completed her pediatric dental residency at UCLA. She's a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, which meant passing its written and oral exams.

She grew up in Boulder and graduated from Fairview High School. She holds a degree in child psychology from Wellesley College and a master's in broadcast journalism from CU Boulder. She volunteers on dental mission trips, including to Mexico, Guatemala and Vietnam, and completes the Boulder 70.3 Ironman every year. In 2017 she and her husband designed and built Mini Miners from the ground up, starting with 4 patients. She's a parent too.

Dr. Alison Grover attending to a patient

Getting to Mini Miners From Broomfield

For gum disease in Broomfield, CO, our office is in Erie Commons, at the corner of Briggs St and Erie Pkwy, between I-25 and Highway 287, with easy parking. We see families from across Broomfield, including Broadlands, Aspen Creek and Anthem Highlands. More on our Broomfield pediatric dentist page.

Gum Questions From Broomfield Parents

My toddler has a fever and sore, bleeding gums. Is that gum disease?

Probably not. Fever plus painful ulcers on swollen gums, in a child between 6 months and 5 years, points to primary herpetic gingivostomatitis. Call your pediatrician the same day. An antiviral is an option if your child is seen within 72 hours of the first symptoms, according to StatPearls. The main risk is dehydration: a child who won't drink needs care right away. The ulcers usually heal in 2 to 3 weeks.

Is a pimple on my child's gum an emergency?

Treat it as urgent. A small boil beside a decayed or injured tooth is usually a sinus tract, which is infection draining from inside the tooth. The gum heals only after the tooth is treated or removed. Call us today, or call now if there's facial swelling or a fever. Go to the emergency room if swelling spreads toward the eye or neck, or makes breathing, swallowing or opening the mouth hard. More on emergency dental care.

Do braces cause gum disease?

Braces make it easier to get. Brackets and wires trap plaque at the gumline. The AAPD advises considering more frequent recall visits and cleanings for kids in braces, and pausing treatment if a child can't keep the gums healthy. A small interdental brush around each bracket reaches what a toothbrush misses.

Another office says my child needs a deep cleaning. Should I get a second opinion?

Ask for the numbers first. A deep cleaning, called scaling and root planing, treats pockets and bone loss, and both are uncommon in children. Ask for the periodontal chart with pocket depths and bleeding points, plus the x-rays that show bone levels. Any office should hand those over. If the chart and the films don't support the plan, a second look is reasonable, and we're glad to be it.

Does Broomfield's fluoridated water prevent gum disease?

No. Broomfield fluoridates its water, and the city's 2023 and 2024 water quality reports put the average at 0.62 and 0.68 ppm, close to the 0.7 mg/L level the U.S. Public Health Service recommended in 2015. Fluoride in tap water hardens enamel against cavities. It doesn't treat gum tissue, so it won't prevent gum disease in Broomfield, CO or anywhere else.

Book Your Child's Gum Check

If your child's gums have bled for more than 2 weeks, or something on the Look-Alike List sounds familiar, book a gum check. We'll tell you whether it's gum disease, a look-alike, or nothing to worry about.

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