Dental Information » Gingival Cysts
Gingival Cysts
Q: My 14 month old daughter has 8 teeth, four on top and four on the bottom. When she was first born, I noticed she had Epstein's pearls, white bumps on her gums just below where she would cut teeth. I've seen three. They are still there, even after beginning to cut teeth. The pearls are not located under any of the teeth she has now. Will these disappear as the respective teeth are cut just above them, absorbing them into the teeth as they grow?
A: Epstein's pearls are also called gingival cysts. Bohn's nodules is the common name for cysts along the gingiva (gum) tissue, and Epstein's pearls denote cysts located along the midline of the palate. This concludes your dental terminology lesson for today!
Gingival cysts have been observed in both infants and adults; however, they are most common in newborns. They usually disappear after about 3 months. Gingival or palatal cysts in an infant generally require no treatment as they spontaneously rupture early in life or at the time of tooth eruption.
Gingival cysts are thought to arise from dental tissue remnants and can be quite numerous. If these cysts exist on the palate, they are thought to arise from tissue other than dental tissues. These cysts generally appear as white or gray nodules. It has been estimated that 76% of newborns have gingival cysts.
If the cysts you describe do not rupture at the time of tooth eruption or soon thereafter, you may want to have them examined by a dentist. If they are not gingival cysts, then proper treatment can be given.