Gum Disease

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Teenagers
• Men
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

If you have gum disease, you're not alone. Many U.S. adults currently have some form of the disease. It ranges from simple gum inflammation, called gingivitis, to serious damage to the tissue and bone supporting the teeth. In the worst cases, you can lose teeth.

In gingivitis, the gums become red and swollen. They can bleed easily. Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease. You can usually reverse it with daily brushing and flossing and regular cleanings by a dentist or dental hygienist. Untreated gingivitis can lead to periodontitis. If you have periodontitis, the gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets that become infected. If not treated, the bones, gums and connective tissue that support the teeth are destroyed.

NIH: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Start Here

• Ask a Periodontist (Frequently Asked Questions about Gum Disease) (American Academy of Periodontology)
• Gum Disease (American Academy of Periodontology)
• Periodontal (Gum) Disease (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Dental Exam (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Panoramic Dental X-Ray (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Periodontal Treatments and Procedures (American Academy of Periodontology)
• Surgical Periodontal Procedures (American Academy of Periodontology)

Related Issues

• Diabetes, Gum Disease, and Other Dental Problems (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Gum Disease and Other Diseases (American Academy of Periodontology)
• Peri-Implant Diseases (American Academy of Periodontology)
• Prevention of Infective Endocarditis Wallet Card (American Heart Association) - PDF

Specifics

• Gingivitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Videos and Tutorials

• Periodontal (Gum) Disease (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)

Statistics and Research

• FastStats: Oral and Dental Health (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Dental Plaque (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Gingival Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Periodontal Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Bisphosphonate- and disumab-related gingival disorders: case analysis from the U.S. Food...
• Article: Prevalence of Histopathologic Types of Gingival Lesions in the Iranian Population:...
• Article: Ceramic soft tissue trimming bur gingival depigmentation: clinical performance and patient...
• Gum Disease -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Periodontist (American Academy of Periodontology)
• Find an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons)
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Gum Disease (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Men

• Gum Disease and Men (American Academy of Periodontology)

Women

• Gum Disease and Women (American Academy of Periodontology)

Patient Handouts

• Bleeding gums (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gingivitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gums - swollen (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Periodontitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Trench mouth (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish