More Serious Gum Disease

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HealthWiki > Where There Is No Dentist > Chapter 7 Part 1: Problems You Will See Most Often > More Serious Gum Disease

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

Vincent’s infection of the gums, also called trench mouth, affects both adults and children. When not treated, it can spread and damange the jaw and cheek, especially in people who are sick and malnourished.

A person with Vincent’s infection may not want to eat because their teeth hurt when they chew food. This can make malnutrition worse, especially in children.

To prevent this problem from starting, especially in children who are already weak, teach parents to clean their children’s teeth and to get their children to rinse their mouths with warm salt water.

Signs:

• Gums are red and puffy and bleed often.
• Severe pain in the gums begins suddenly.
• Gums between and around the teeth are dying and have sores.

A person with Vincent’s infection may also have a fever and very little appetite, and their mouth may smell very bad.

Treatment:

1. If the person has a fever or other illnesses in addition to Vincent’s infection, treat with antibiotics. Treat for HIV if necessary.
2. Clean away any blood, old food, and big pieces of tartar. Then:
   • Have the person rinse their mouth with warm water.
   • Wipe the person's gums with cotton soaked in disinfectant mouth wash, povidone iodine, warm salt water, or a solution of hydrogen peroxide. Then have them rinse with warm water. For a child, use a weaker solution, such as 1 part hydrogen peroxide mixed with 5 parts water.
   • Scrape away the bigger pieces of tartar (see “Scaling Teeth”). Do not try to remove all of it. Put topical anesthetic on the gums if you have some (first dry the area with cotton so the topical anesthetic will stay longer). Rinse away any loose bits of tartar with warm water.
3. Teach the person how to care for their gums and teeth at home:
   • Show them how to rinse with a weak solution of hydrogen peroxide, povidone iodine (do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding), disinfectant mouthwash, or warm salt water. Try to hold the solution in the mouth for several minutes. The longer the solution touches the gums, the better it will work. Rinse 4 times each day. After 3 days, change to salt water 4 times each day.
   • Teach them to clean their teeth with a soft brush. Parents can clean children’s teeth. Ask them to do it even if the gums bleed.
   

   For a young child who is not able to rinse, an older family member can wipe his gums with the weak solution 4 times a day.
   
   Show parents how to do this. Give them some cotton gauze and hydrogen peroxide, povidone iodine, or disinfectant mouthwash to take home.
4. Encourage them to cook food that is soft (like pounded yam) and not spicy (no pepper) and eat fresh fruits and vegetables that give strength to the gums. If you cannot eat well because of pain, they can take a multi-vitamin, or at least vitamin C and zinc. Talk to them about not smoking or chewing betel nut.




5. One week Iater, scrape away the rest of the tartar from the teeth. Then have the person use their own brush to show you how they’re cleaning their teeth, and give any reminders they may need to be successful.

This page was updated:18 Sep 2024