Gingivitis is often caused by inadequate oral hygiene. Gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment and good oral home care. In a recent study of Americans aged 30 years and older, half exhibited gingival bleeding at one or more site. 1 Untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis. With time, plaque can spread and grow below the gum line.
Toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque irritate the gums.
The toxins stimulate a chronic inflammatory response in which the body in essence turns on itself, and the tissues and bone that support the teeth are broken down and destroyed. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may have to be removed. More than one in three people over age 30 have periodontitis.