This document lists and describes various causes that can lead to widening of the periodontal ligament space, including localized periapical inflammation, condensing osteitis, traumatic occlusion, orthodontic tooth movement, scleroderma, osteogenic sarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma, periodontitis, osteomyelitis, radiation-induced bony defects, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Widening can be localized to certain areas or more generalized based on the number and location of involved teeth. References are provided at the end.