Hi @cachemoney! I have been researching about gingivitis because this has been a problem of my father. Every time he brushes his teeth he noticed that his gums are bleeding. He was prescribed a certain toothpaste to use to minimize the bleeding. There is also a cream that he uses to brush his gum every night.
This is what I have read about it:
Gingivitis is a bacterial infection of the gums. The exact cause of it has not been proven but there are several theories that exist.
These are the theories of its causes:
* It is caused by plaque since it usually develops when plaques have accumulated in the areas in between the teeth. The plaque contains a lot of bacteria that causes gingivitis. But it is not simply caused by plaque since everyone has plaque on their teeth but only a few develop gingivitis.
*a person may have an underlying illness or taking a medicine that makes him/her susceptible to gingivitis.
*Hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy, puberty and steroid therapy makes the gum vulnerable to it.
*certain medications that are for seizures, high blood pressure, and organ transplants can suppress the immune system and changes structure of the gums that allows bacteria to enter causing infection.

I was a dental nurse for several years and a lot of the cases of tooth loss we used to see in the surgery were caused by gingivitis. It is a bacterial infection in the mouth which originates with poor or insufficient cleaning of the teeth. The tell tale sign is that the gums bleed when the teeth are being brushed.

Good ways to prevent this condition is to clean your teeth after every meal and always before going to bed. An electric toothbrush is more efficient at cleaning teeth than an ordinary one. Flossing is also important to remove food particles missed by brushing which then degrade and cause the infection.

One of the best ways to prevent gingivitis is to also use hydrogen peroxide both as a mouthwash and to sterilize your toothbrush, most people don't realize that toothbrushes have germs lurking in them. If you follow these steps you should not have the problem of gingivitis.

Plaque.