•  Symptoms of gum disease include:
•  Bad breath that won't go away
•  Red or swollen gums
•  Tender or bleeding gums
•  Painful chewing
•  Loose teeth
•  Sensitive teeth
•  Receding gums or longer appearing teeth

Gingivitis
Gingivitis is a form of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is inflammation and infection that destroys the tissues that support the teeth, including the gums, the periodontal ligaments, and the tooth sockets (alveolar bone).

Gingivitis is due to the long-term effects of plaque deposits on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky material made of bacteria, mucus, and food debris that develops on the exposed parts of the teeth. It is a major cause of tooth decay.

If you do not remove plaque, it turns into a hard deposit called tartar (or calculus) that becomes trapped at the base of the tooth. Plaque and tartar irritate and inflame the gums. Bacteria and the toxins they produce cause the gums to become infected, swollen, and tender.

Periodontitis
When gingivitis is not treated, it can advance to "periodontitis" (which means "inflammation around the tooth"). In periodontitis, gums pull away from the teeth and form spaces (called "pockets") that become infected. The body's immune system fights the bacteria as the plaque spreads and grows below the gum line. Bacterial toxins and the body's natural response to infection start to break down the bone and connective tissue that hold teeth in place. If not treated, the bones, gums, and tissue that support the teeth are destroyed. The teeth may eventually become loose and have to be removed.

Gum disease cause health problems beyond the mouth:
In some studies, researchers have observed that people with gum disease (when compared to people without gum disease) were more likely to develop heart disease or have difficulty controlling blood sugar. Other studies showed that women with gum disease were more likely than those with healthy gums to deliver preterm, low birth weight babies. But so far, it has not been determined whether gum disease is the cause of these conditions.
There may be other reasons people with gum disease sometimes develop additional health problems. For example, something else may be causing both the gum disease and the other condition, or it could be a coincidence that gum disease and other health problems are present together. More research is needed to clarify whether gum disease actually causes health problems beyond the mouth, and whether treating gum disease can keep other health conditions from developing.
In the meantime, it's a fact that controlling gum disease can save your teeth – a very good reason to take care of your teeth and gums.

Treatment Options for Periodontal problems:
Treatment options for periodontal problem includes:

• Oral Prophylaxis:   It includes simple cleaning and scaling with hand or machine (scaling machine). In most of the cases this is first and the foremost treatment option in perio.
• Curratage and root planning:   This is a manual procedure which is done with some specialise instruments called curates and a minor form of surgical procedures.
• Flap Surgeries:   This procedure is indicated for the cases which cannot be resolved with the above mentioned procedures and needs surgical interventions. In this surgery, the blades and sutures plays an important role. Sometime we need to graft the area which can be autograft or xenograft.