Essay On Gingivitis

Oral hygiene has only recently taken true strides to better itself. Inflammation of the gums used to be a common occurrence throughout time. This was mostly due to a bacterial infection in the sulcus of the gum. An infection like this in medical terms is referred to as gingivitis, with the more serious condition being called periodontal disease. Essentially, this is caused by bad dental hygiene and is characterized as red swollen gums that bleed easily. High amounts of dental plaque is also very common when talking about gingivitis. People may also experience bad breath, loose teeth, receding gums, possible tooth loss, toothache and mouth ulcers. Even with all of this to consider, scientists did not start to research as to why this was happening until the 1700’s. Certainly though, gingivitis has been around for much longer than just 300 years. This is proven through the fact that gingivitis/periodontal disease destroys the teeth very slowly. If one were to go back to thousands of years to the time of ancient Egypt, and un-mummify the pharaohs or courtiers, one would be able to clearly tell that these people were infected with the disease. An article from the …show more content…
This disease is caused by a bacterial infection in the sulcus. The sulcus is the space formed due to the gums actually attaching to the teeth at a lower point than the edges of the gum that we can visibly see. When one eats food, the process of mastication takes place. This allows for small food particles to get stuck in the sulcus. If not removed by brushing or flossing, bacteria located in the sulcus starts to thrive since there is a food source. The longer the food stays, the more the bacteria grows, the worse the disease gets. If left completely untreated, gingivitis can effect soft tissue and supporting bone in the area. It may also develop into the more serious periodontal disease (Nordqvist,