What causes gingivitis?
Your body’s inflammatory reaction to plaque and tartar on your teeth is gingivitis. Your gums become inflamed, red, and swollen when plaque and tartar are left on your teeth for an extended period of time.
- Possess other hormonal changes that have an impact on oral health, such as pregnancy.
- Have poorly maintained teeth or difficult-to-clean crooked teeth.
- Diabetes.
- Have a history of gum disease in your family.
- Chew or smoke tobacco.
Additionally, several over-the-counter and prescription drugs may reduce saliva production, causing dry mouth (xerostomia). Since saliva helps keep your mouth clean, this alteration can make gingivitis worse. Some examples of such drugs are:
- Drug treatments for epilepsy.
- A few cancer treatments.
- Blood pressure medications that inhibit calcium channels.
- oral birth control.