Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease is a disease affecting the supporting structures and tissues around a tooth. These tissues are keeping the teeth in place and gum disease is caused by bacterial plaque. Dental plaque microbes produce a variety of toxins, antigens and acids that challenge the immune system of every individual. Throughout your lifetime there is usually a harmony between the host and the bacterial flora in the mouth however there are cases where the composition of dental plaque changes or the immune defense mechanisms of the individual are no longer able to cope with the bacterial challenge.

Some individuals are more susceptible than others. Smoking, stress and diabetes are factors that are thought to hamper the immune response. When this happens, oral tissues in contact with bacterial plaque become infected. The first tissues to become infected are the gums, leading to a condition commonly known as gingivitis. If left untreated, destruction of local tissues would lead to the establishment of a periodontal pocket between the gum and the tooth. Microbial flora within the pocket will now become more virulent, and chronic presence of this flora can lead to loss of tissue attachment around the tooth, affecting the bone as well as the gums. This condition is called periodontitis or gum disease.