Trench mouth is a form of gum disease caused by severe gum infection. In most cases, the infected gum will swell and develop ulcers.
Trench mouth! You’ve probably never heard about this rare oral disease, but it ranks among the most severe dental conditions you can develop due to poor oral hygiene. This article explores what trench mouth is, its causes and symptoms, and today’s viable treatment methods.
I have been a patient at the Dental Anesthesia Center for about 20 years! Dr. Hoffman and his team are the premier dental group in the St. Louis area. I believe they are the only location for Dental Anesthesia if you need that service. They are experts in the dental field and I cannot fathom ever going anywhere else. Great team, kind, caring, patient, and looking out for you and your dental needs!
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It was thorough professional and informative. I was satisfied with consultation and look forward to having my dental needs addressed
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Everything went great today for her surgery but I do have some feedback about other things. My daughter was scheduled to be put to sleep to undergo a root canal. They ended up needing more anthesia which I was willing to pay for. Surgery was supposed to be an hour (I was told this before they started), and it ended up being 2 hours because of some minor complications. Noone came to the lobby to inform us. When it was over, I asked to see her. They said I had to pay first. I just paid almost 5k and they were more worried about an additional $300 before allowing me to see my daughter? This didn't sit right. I didn't say anything. I paid the bill and went to see my daughter. Dr. Hoffman is the nicest man I have ever met! He was outstanding.
Also, in the weeks before her surgery, the office appeared to not communicate. I would receive a call saying one thing then someone else would say another. They were never on the same page.
Last week, they needed to speak with me to confirm a few things. They called me at 8:16am then again at 1:06pm. Leaving me a voicemail that if they do not hear from me they were going to cancel her surgery. Wow! I work. I work 8am-5pm. I do not have access to my phone during those hours. They did leave a voicemail and I would have called the next day but they did not give me a chance before sending me an email threatening to cancel.
Also, they had called me several weeks before to inform me I had no insurance. I called my insurance company and they said I did. Not sure what happened but it resulted in unnecessary phone calls during my only free 20 minutes at work.
If your appointment is at 10am, do not plan on seeing anyone for awhile. All our appointments ran an hour behind.
I think Dr. Hoffman is wonderful but the office staff needs some help.
Not friendly at all. Noone even smiled!
The nurses in the room with my daughter were great too.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your feedback and kind words about Dr. Hoffmann and our clinical team. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Your feedback is valuable to us as we continually strive to provide the best possible care and experience for every family.
What is Trench Mouth?
By definition, trench mouth is a form of gum disease caused by severe gum infection. In most cases, the infected gum will swell and develop ulcers, which lead to the death of your gum tissue.
Because trench mouth symptoms are almost similar to gingivitis, you may bleed more and experience intense pain when infected. Trench mouth primarily affects teens and young adults under 30 years of age, but its roots date back to the 4th century when it had names like:
Vincent stomatitis
Acute ulcerative gingivitis
Necrotizing gingivitis
People only referred to the disease as trench mouth after soldiers during World War 1 developed the condition from lack of access to proper dental care.
Causes of Trench Mouth
This condition usually occurs when there is too much bacteria in the mouth. Other risk factors include:
Trench mouth symptoms closely resemble those of gingivitis, but they’re more advanced. Therefore, you should capture all your signs early to get immediate treatment and prevent further dental complications.
The common signs of trench mouth you should be on the lookout for include:
Ulcers papillae on the small projections of gums between your teeth
Foul mouth taste
Fever
Fatigue
Red, swollen and bleeding gums
How Does a Dentist Diagnose Trench Mouth?
Besides checking for the above symptoms, a dentist will likely prod your gums to see how easily they bleed. In case they find an infection, the dentist may recommend extra tests to confirm whether the bacterial infection has extended to the bone beneath the gums. HIV and immunity tests are also common during trench mouth diagnosis because they encourage bacterial growth in the mouth.
How to Treat & Prevent Trench Mouth
Trench mouth has different treatment options available, depending on the extent of your infection. For starters, if the infection is minor, you’ll probably only need professional cleaning and some pain meds to cure the disease. But in cases where an infection extends to the bone beneath the gum, you may require surgery and strong antibiotics to shake off the gum infection.
From there, you’ll need long-term monitoring by your dentist to ensure a full recovery. During this period, the doctor will emphasize good oral hygiene to prevent future infections. These include:
Brushing your teeth twice a day
Flossing at least once a day
Eating a healthy diet
Avoiding smoking and tobacco products in general
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