Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth.
Your gum tissue is not attached to the teeth as high as it may seem. There is a
very shallow v-shaped crevice called a sulcus between the tooth and gums. Periodontal
diseases attack just below the gum line in the sulcus, where they cause the attachment
of the tooth and it's supporting tissues to break down. As the tissues are damaged,
the sulcus develops into a pocket: generally, the more severe the disease, the greater
the depth of the pocket.
Periodontal diseases are classified according to the severity of the disease. The
two major stages are gingivitis and Periodontitis. Gingivitis is a milder and reversible
form of periodontal disease that only affects the gums. Gingivitis may lead to more
serious, destructive forms of periodontal disease called Periodontitis.