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Article: Trench-mouth: not a relic of World War I. (gingivitis)
- Article from:
- Nutrition Health Review
- Article date:
- June 22, 1989
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Vegetus Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Trench-Mouth: Not a Relic of World War I
Gingivitis, a disease which destroys human gum tissue, was named "trench mouth" during World War I. It was common among the soldiers who were confirmed to trenches for long periods of time. Such movies as All Quiet on the Western Front, Gallipoli, and The Great War, showed the devastating effects of gingivitis on those soldiers who spent so much time in the trenches.
Health was ignored for military personnel in World War I. Emotional stress, poor oral hygiene, deficient diets, and use of tobacco conspired to cause two particular microorganisms to live symbiotically and together invade susceptible tissues in the ...