Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is a type of disease that affects one or more of the periodontal tissues:

1. alveolar bone
2. periodontal ligament
3. cementum
4. gingiva

While many different diseases affect the tooth-supporting structures, plaque-induced inflammatory lesions make up the vast majority of periodontal diseases and have traditionally been divided into two categories:

1. gingivitis or
2. periodontitis.

While in some sites or individuals, gingivitis never progresses to periodontitis, data indicate that periodontitis is always preceded by gingivitis.