Gum inflammation and treatment. Animation of teeth and gums with gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). This condition is usually caused by poor dental hygiene where dental plaque (bacterial biofilms, yellow) leads to swollen and sore gums (red). If not treated, plaque can harden into tartar, and the condition can lead to receding gums, periodontitis and tooth loss. Prevention of plaque build-up is based around regular brushing of the teeth and good dental hygiene. Excessive build-up of plaque and tartar requires a dentist to remove it using a scaler or curette. HD master is flattened onto a black background, as seen in this preview. The original file has a transparent alpha channel and is available as the HD master of clip K003/3743.