Gingivitis (synonym: gingival infection; ICD-10-GM K05.0: Acute gingivitis; ICD-10-GM K05.1: Chronic gingivitis) is an inflammation of the marginal gums (gingiva), usually caused by bacteria. The periodontium (periodontium) is not affected, but gingivitis can be the precursor of periodontitis (inflammation of the periodontium). Gingivitis is one of the most common human diseases.
It is further divided into three main groups:
- Plaque-induced gingivitis – gingivitis triggered by dental plaque (in the majority of cases).
- Non-plaque-induced gingivitis – gingivitis triggered genetically or by viruses, bacteria or fungi (rare).
- Gingivitis gravidarum – pregnancy-related gingivitis.
- Drug-induced gingivitis
- Gingivitis as a symptom of other diseases
Gingivitis can be classified according to the time course into:
- Acute gingivitis
- Chronic gingivitis
A special form is the necrotizing and ulcerative gingivitis (NUG). This is a usually abrupt onset, very painful infection of the interdental (“between the teeth”) and later the remaining gingiva with necrosis (cells die and decay) and ulceration (ulcers). The etiology (causes) is characterized by the following “fact triad”: poor oral hygiene, smoking and emotional stress.
Peak incidence: necrotizing and ulcerative gingivitis occurs predominantly between the ages of 15 and 30.
The prevalence (disease frequency) for chronic gingivitis is more than 90% in the 18-year-old group (in Central Europe).
Course and prognosis: In most cases, gingivitis goes unnoticed. Chronic gingivitis can develop after only a few days. The therapy depends on the cause. In the case of plaque-induced gingivitis, improvement or optimization of oral hygiene measures is usually sufficient. The gingivitis then heals within a few weeks. If the gingivitis is caused by mechanical irritation, the disease heals after only a few days. In most cases, untreated gingivitis turns into periodontitis (inflammation of the periodontium).
