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Definition of "gingivitis" [gingivitis]

  • Inflammation of the gums, characterized by redness and swelling. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "gingivitis" in a sentence
  • "[T] he authors of the only study that found differences in gingivitis scores (at 6, 12 and 22 months) deemed those differences clinically irrelevant …."
  • "Women with periodontal disease during pregnancy may be more likely to have babies who are born too early or too small, although the evidence for this claim is mixed.7 Some pregnant women get a condition known as gingivitis that involves swollen gums; it increases the risk of periodontitis."
  • "Most problems with "gums" have to do with poor brushing causing gingivitis, which is a red, irritated, even bloody kind of appearance."