Gingivitis

Gingivitis is caused by bacterial plaque (dental biofilm) that accumulates daily on the teeth.

Results in redness, slight swelling, or 'puffiness' of the gums and bleeding on tooth brushing.

Treatment involves thorough professional tooth cleaning and effective daily removal of dental plaque by tooth brushing and cleaning between the teeth.

Necrotising gingivitis is a more serious condition that is mainly found in developing countries and is associated with people with severe malnutrition or people living with HIV with low CD4 counts.

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gingiva. The vast majority of cases are related to bacteria-induced inflammation caused by the dental plaque (bacterial biofilm) that forms daily on the teeth. Necrotising gingivitis is an atypical, acute form of bacteria-related gingivitis that is rarely found in developed countries.[1]Chapple ILC, Mealey BL, Van Dyke TE, et al. Periodontal health and gingival diseases and conditions on an intact and a reduced periodontium: Consensus report of workgroup 1 of the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. J Periodontol. 2018 Jun;89 Suppl 1:S74-84. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29926944?tool=bestpractice.com This topic focuses on these two forms of gingivitis.

Many other potentially serious conditions (congenital or acquired, and a number of genetic syndromes) may feature inflammation or lesions of the gingiva and these must always be considered within the differential diagnosis.​[2]Lang NP, Lindhe J. Clinical periodontology and implant dentistry. 6th ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell; 2015.[3]Holmstrup P, Plemons J, Meyle J. Non-plaque-induced gingival diseases. J Periodontol. 2018 Jun;89 Suppl 1:S28-45. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29926945?tool=bestpractice.com [4]Farah CS, Balasumbramaniam R, McCullough MJ. Contemporary Oral Medicine. A Comprehensive Approach to Clinical Practice. 1st ed. New York, NY: Springer International Publishing; 2019.