ANUG is an acronym for Acute Ulcerative Necrotizing Gingivitis, an oral condition characterized by bad breath,bleeding gums, and ‘punched out papillae’( loss of some of the gum between teeth). Often a patient with ANUG runs a fever and feels malaise as well.
Risk factors seem to be poor oral hygiene in combination with a weakened immune system. It was termed “Trench Mouth in World War I . People’s immune system can be compromised by a number of factors including lack of sleep, war time conditions, medical illness, AIDS, and drug abuse.
Now a days our population at risk are students studying hard for final exams(lack of sleep and stress), Meth Addicts, people with major depressions, and soldiers in battle field conditions. The condition can cause loss of bone around teeth and should be treated by a dentist, as soon as possible.
Treatment of this condition consists of gentle debridgment of the gums with a dental ultrasonic cleaning device and a course of antibiotics(Amoxicillin for ten days). The patient is given oral hygiene instruction and also asked to rinse with a warm saline solution several times a day.
This condition can cause bone loss around the teeth and can cause a permanent unaesthetic change in the gingival architecture between the teeth. Commonly patients can rapidly lose the papillae between teeth and this change can be permanent.
Preventive measures are good oral hygiene and general dental cleaning twice a year. It is my observation that those suffering from ANUG most often have not having cleaning every six months.
