During the teething process, many parents sometime will find that their child or baby have a bluish-purple bump on their gums. There is no need to panic, this is a fairly common development and is known as an eruption cyst or an eruption hematoma.

An eruption cyst is a fluid-filled sac that forms in the gum tissue above a tooth shortly before that tooth erupts. They can form over any erupting tooth, including both primary (“baby”) and permanent teeth. The gum tissue can be swollen and appear to be a translucent color, bluish purple, or even a dark red. Although the eruption cyst may look concerning and often cause parents to worry, most are actually painless.

No treatment is typically necessary and, in most cases, eruption cysts will rupture on their own. When they rupture the cystic fluid and/or blood inside will drain out and the tooth will then erupt in. They usually resolve in days, but can persist for weeks.