Trench mouth overview
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Trench mouth is a polymicrobial infection of the gums leading to inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration and necrotic gum tissue; there may also be fever. Trench foot, also known as immersion foot, occurs when the feet are wet for long periods of time. It can be quite painful, but it can be prevented and treated.
Terminology
It is also known as "Vincent's stomatitis", "Vincent's angina", or "acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis" (ANUG). The common name was probably coined during World War I when many soldiers suffered from the condition. There are a number of other theories to the origin of the name. Vincent's angina was named after French physician Jean Hyacinthe Vincent (1862-1950).