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Gingivitis

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Symptoms:

• Mouth sores
• Swollen gums
• Bright red or red-purple appearance to gums
• Shiny appearance to gums
• Bleeding gums (blood on toothbrush even with gentle brushing of the teeth)
• Gums that are tender when touched, but otherwise painless

Signs and tests:

Consult the dentist if signs of gingivitis are present. The dentists will examine your mouth and teeth and look for soft, swollen, red-purple gingiva. Deposits of plaque and tartar may be visible at the base of the teeth. The gums are usually painless or mildly tender.

No further testing is usually necessary, although dental x-rays and dental gingival probing (measuring the amount of bone) may be performed to determine whether periodontitis (spread of inflammation to the supporting structures of the teeth) has developed.

References:

Ferri FF. Ferri’s Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. 2005 ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2005:447-448:333.

Marx J. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2002:898.

American Academy of Periodontology. Parameter on plaque-induced gingivitis. J Periodontol . 2000; 71(5 Suppl): 851-2.

• Review Date: 8/12/2005
• Reviewed By: Johanna Jacobs, D.D.S., General and Cosmetic Dentistry, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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