Gingivitis
Pronunciation: jin-jih-VY-tis
Reversible inflammation of the gingival (gum) tissue, confined to the soft tissues and not involving the underlying alveolar bone.
Full Definition
Gingivitis is the mildest and most common form of periodontal disease, characterised by redness, swelling, and bleeding of the gingiva in response to bacterial plaque accumulation. Crucially, it is a non-destructive condition — there is no loss of connective tissue attachment or alveolar bone — and it is fully reversible with effective plaque control. Editors must be careful not to use 'gingivitis' interchangeably with 'periodontitis', which denotes an irreversible condition involving attachment loss. The 2017 World Workshop classification replaced many legacy periodontal diagnostic terms and editors should confirm which classification system the author is using.
Usage
Usage note: Never imply bone or attachment loss when writing about gingivitis — that escalates the diagnosis to periodontitis. Confirm alignment with the 2017 World Workshop classification in research submissions.
In Context
- "Plaque-induced gingivitis is reversible; following professional scaling and improved home care, the tissue returned to health within four weeks." — Periodontal treatment record
- "The author incorrectly referred to attachment loss in the context of gingivitis; the editor queried whether 'periodontitis' was intended." — Editorial query on manuscript