Although gingivitis and advanced periodontitis both affect your gums, they are two different health issues.
Your teeth are held in position by a number of things including bone tissue, ligaments, and your gums. If you do not properly care for your teeth, plaque can begin to form around your gums. Your gums begin to retreat and create “pockets.” These pockets allow for more bacteria to build up. This is gingivitis.
There are different severities of gingivitis, which is tested by measuring the deepness of the pockets around your teeth. You generally want pockets that are 1-3mm deep. Your pockets will be deeper if you have an infection.
Gingivitis, if left untreated, can form advanced periodontitis. Advanced periodontitis occurs when plaque and tartar infect your gums and begin to deteriorate the soft tissue that supports your teeth. If you do not treat advanced periodontitis, it can begin affecting the bone of your tooth. When this happens, the tooth is at risk of needing an extraction.
For minor plaque buildup, your dentist will be able to clean away the bacteria before it advances. If you are in a more advanced stage, a procedure called “scaling and root planing” will be done to clean around the gums and below your gums to remove tartar.