EVEN IF YOU’RE doing all the right things for your dental health—brushing and flossing daily, scheduling regular cleanings—you can still develop gum disease, an inflammatory infection of the tissue and bone that surround our teeth. “It starts with gingivitis, characterized by red, inflamed, and bleeding gums,” explains Nick Mavrostomos, DDS, a cosmetic dentist at Apa Aesthetic in New York City. And yes, it can be an issue regardless of your oral hygiene habits, he says, blaming genetics or