Prevention of Trench Mouth (ANUG) and Reflection on the War

Prevention of Trench Mouth or ANUG

To prevent the condition from coming back, the dentist/doctor may give you instructions on how to:

• Maintain good general health, including proper nutrition and exercise.
• Maintain good oral hygiene.
• Regular dental check-up and cleans, preferably every six months.
• Reduce stress.
• Avoid irritants such as smoking and hot or spicy foods.

Outlook (Prognosis)

The infection usually responds to treatment; however the degree of success is very much dependent on the general health of the person. The disorder can be quite painful until it is treated. If trench mouth (ANUG) is not treated promptly, the infection can spread to the cheeks, lips, or jawbone and destroy these tissues.

Possible complications

• Dehydration
• Loss of teeth
• Pain
• Periodontitis
• Spread of infection causing other serious health issues

On reflection of the Great War

In WWI the soldiers that had trench mouth and other terrible diseases, did not have access to modern medicine, treatment or knowledge. Antibiotics did not exist in a form for wide spread use. Modern sterilisation of instruments did not exist. Treating the wounded was the highest priority for the medical staff, however controlling disease was not. In the end many more people in world died from the spread of the pandemic known as the Spanish flu.

What caused this ‘flu is uncertain, but it was spread from the troops who returned home after the war to their various countries, worldwide. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 to 1919, the deadliest in modern times, infected about 500 million people worldwide  about one-third of the population of the world at the time – and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims. There were two waves of the flu. However, it was the second wave that was devastating, as it killed its victims very quickly, usually in the 20-40 age range.

One of the reasons the second wave was the worst is because the soldiers returning from the war brought the pandemic back with them. The virus had mutated into a much more virulent strain while in Europe. The massive number of returning troops gave the virus an incubator for when it reached the mainland.

Nobody wins a war.

Next week: Child Dental Scheme T&C’s Part 4 – Extractions and Surgery