What Causes Gingivitis?

Every moment of every day, there’s a thin film of bacteria, known as plaque, forming on the surface of your teeth and along the gum line. When you brush your teeth, you help remove this soft, sticky and often colorless film. However, when plaque is allowed to build up, the minerals in your saliva can cause the film to harden and turn into tartar. While you can remove plaque with at-home dental care, tartar can only be removed by a dental professional.

When plaque, tartar or food gets trapped in the gingival sulcus – the space between the tooth and the gum tissue that surrounds it – gingivitis can occur. If left untreated, gingivitis can cause irritation and inflammation of the gums, resulting in gingival hyperplasia, or the overgrowth of gum tissue around the teeth, increasing your risk for gum disease. Additionally, gingivitis may progress to periodontitis, causing your teeth to separate from the gums. This advanced stage of gum disease can damage the bones and soft tissues that support the teeth and may eventually result in tooth loss.