Trench Mouth

During the World War 1, the Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (NUG) disease was very common among the soldiers in trenches, so the disease was nicknamed Trench Mouth.  

Trench mouth is literally a severe and acute situation of gingivitis (for more info on gingivitis visit:     ). In general there is a population of bacteria living in our mouth. But without proper oral hygiene the abundance of bacteria will increase and cause severe infections on the gum level.

This can lead to the swelling and redness of the gums. Ulcers – crater like sores – might also show up due to the imbalance of defensive and aggressive powers. The patient will feel a bad taste in his/her mouth and might run off friends due to bad breath. Also, the lymph nodes beneath the jaw might become affected leading to a fever.

The symptoms of the different stages of gum disease are similar but become harsher as time rolls. The final result will be the loss of bone attachment to the tooth and the tooth's loss. So consultation in the earliest stage in which symptoms show up, is necessary.

Causes:

Though other minor gum disorders are common, trench mouth is very rarely spotted; and in those few cases, its usually among college students, smokers or others dealing with any of the other causes mentioned here: smoking, bad nutrition, stress and bad oral hygiene.

Prevention and treatment:

The professional treatment is by using hydrogen peroxide as a mouth rinse, but natural remedies are if not more, as equally effective. Some believe that using baking soda as a rinse or a paste is very helpful due to its alkaline state, natural infection killing characteristic and anti-inflammatory properties. Herbal treatments such as Chamomile tea as a rinse with healing quality; rubbing parsley leaf on gums or chewing it is also accredited for reducing the wicked smell of the patient's mouth.