Gingivitis symptoms and warning signs
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum margins, commonly causing redness, puffiness, tenderness, and bleeding during brushing or flossing without loss.
The short answer
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum margins, commonly causing redness, puffiness, tenderness, and bleeding during brushing or flossing without loss of the supporting bone.
How does plaque affect the gumline around teeth?
Dental plaque is a sticky bacterial film that accumulates at the gumline. If it is not removed, the gum tissue becomes inflamed; calculus, smoking, hormonal changes, some medicines, and crowded teeth can make plaque control harder.
What can you do to control gingivitis each day?
Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, clean between teeth each day, and arrange a professional cleaning if hardened calculus is present. A dental examination measures the gum margins and checks for pockets, calculus, recession, and signs that inflammation has progressed beyond gingivitis.
When do gum symptoms require a dental examination?
Book an examination for repeated bleeding, persistent swelling, bad breath, gum recession, loose teeth, or pain. Urgent care is appropriate for rapidly spreading swelling, fever, or difficulty opening the mouth or swallowing.
What should the dentist check after gingivitis treatment?
Ask whether the findings are limited to gingivitis, where plaque or calculus is collecting, how to clean around those areas, and when the gums should be rechecked after treatment.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask about this concern?
Ask whether the findings are limited to gingivitis, where plaque or calculus is collecting, how to clean around those areas, and when the gums should be rechecked after treatment.
What signs should change the timing of care?
Book an examination for repeated bleeding, persistent swelling, bad breath, gum recession, loose teeth, or pain. Urgent care is appropriate for rapidly spreading swelling, fever, or difficulty opening the mouth or swallowing.
Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.