What is my problem if my gum is white and the tooth above it is becoming tender

White gum with a tender tooth above it is most likely a dental infection that has spread from the tooth root into the gum tissue.

The white color on the gum is dead or dying tissue, called necrosis. This happens when an infection cuts off blood supply to that spot. The tenderness in the tooth above it points to the source: a deep cavity, a crack, or a failed filling that has allowed bacteria to reach the nerve and the bone around the root tip [3]. That infection then pushes through the bone and lifts the gum, killing the surface layer.

This fits what is called a necrotizing periodontal condition or a draining abscess. The 1981 study on Vincent's infections describes exactly this pattern: ulcerated, whitish gum tissue with pain and a foul taste, treated effectively with oral penicillin [1]. A more severe version, necrotizing stomatitis, can destroy bone and gum, especially in people with weakened immune systems [2].

The evidence here does not include a modern clinical trial comparing treatments for this specific presentation. The older case reports [1] and the animal case [3] both point to the same first step: a dentist needs to see this. The tooth likely needs a root canal or extraction to remove the source of the infection, and the dead gum tissue needs to be gently cleaned away.

My call: This is a dental emergency. You need a dentist to open the tooth, drain the infection, and likely prescribe an antibiotic. Confidence: high — the combination of white necrotic gum and tooth tenderness is a classic sign of an abscess that has broken through the bone.