What is gingivitis?

What is gingivitis? What causes it? Can it be harmful to your teeth? Gingivitis is a form of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is the inflammation and infection of everything in contact with the teeth, including the gums, the ligaments, the bones, the nerves and sockets. Gingivitis is an infection causing swelling and inflammation of the gums. It is caused by plaque growing near the gum line. Plaque is the sticky material at the base of the teeth caused by food deposits, bacteria, and mucus. It is what causes cavities. Unremoved plaque mineralizes and turns into tartar. The tartar causes gingivitis.

The symptoms of gingivitis are redness and swelling of the gums, as well as odor, pain, bleeding and pus. This will damage the teeth and the roots or nerves of the tooth, causing it to become exposed and can eventually lead to tooth loss. In gingivitis, the infected gums slightly seperate from the gumline after becoming red, swollen and sensitive. Injury to the teeth and gums can also lead to gingivitis. Examples of this are overly vigorous brushing and flossing, and too hard of a tooth brush is often the culprit.

You may have heard of the term "trench mouth". This is a type of gingivitis. The symptom of trench mouth is heavy bleeding of the gums. It is caused by a bacterial infection, but is not contagious. Treatment entails antibiotic mouthwashes and cleaning off of tartar from the teeth. Gum surgery may be necessary in rare cases in order to save the teeth.

In general, people can prevent gingivitis by the following: brush teeth after every meal with a soft bristle brush and flouride toothpaste, don't forget to floss. This will keep plaque to a minimum. Having a biannual cleaning from your dentist is a great way for most people to help prevent gingivitis, because they have special tools to scrape away plaque and tartar. Use an antibacterial mouthwash. Repair misaligned teeth to keep food from getting trapped between teeth. If the cause is illness, it must be treated.